Yushu Cordyceps

Yushu Cordyceps

Yushu Cordyceps is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Cordyceps is mainly distributed across 6 counties and 22 townships, including Yushu County, Zaduo County, Chengduo, Zhiduo County, Nangqian County, and Qumalai County.

　　　Yushu Cordyceps has the following characteristics compared to other types of cordyceps:

　　1. The body of Yushu Cordyceps is yellowish-brown. The body of Naqu Cordyceps is slightly more yellow than that of Yushu Cordyceps, and the Tibetan Naqu cordyceps have the most uniformly bright yellow appearance. Cordyceps from other regions may appear lighter in color, or have reddish or grayish-white hues. Additionally, the eyes of cordyceps from Naqu, Tibet are brown, while those from Yushu and Guoluo in Qinghai are yellow. Cordyceps from Sichuan and other regions are mostly red.

　　2. For cordyceps of the same size, those from Naqu are slightly lighter. Therefore, when comparing cordyceps of the same grade, Yushu Cordyceps appears more compact, while Naqu Cordyceps looks plumper.

　　3. Yushu Cordyceps from Qinghai has a rich, mushroom-like aroma. Naqu Cordyceps from Tibet has both a body and tail that are glossy and oily, with a strong buttery fragrance, whereas the aroma of cordyceps from other regions is very faint.

　　Growth Process of Yushu Cordyceps

　　　　Yushu Cordyceps grows on the plateau at altitudes above 4,000 meters in Yushu Prefecture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Cordyceps, short for “winter worm summer grass,” is formed when a fungus parasitizes the larva of the ghost moth during winter, then develops into a grass-like structure in summer—hence its name. Authentic Cordyceps is wild. In summer, the ghost moth lays eggs on the ground. After about a month, they hatch into larvae, which burrow into moist, soft soil. A type of mold invades the larvae and begins to grow inside their bodies. Over the winter, the mold continues to develop, and by the following summer, it grows out of the ground, resembling a small blade of grass. Thus, the larval shell and the fungal mycelium together form a complete “Cordyceps.” The fungal spores use the larva as nourishment and grow rapidly. The larva is generally four to five centimeters long, and the spores can reach the length of the larva within a single day. This stage of Cordyceps is called “first-grade grass” and is of the highest quality. On the second day, the spores grow to about twice the length of the larva, referred to as “second-grade grass,” which is of slightly lower quality.