Cordyceps Sinensis /Dong Chong Xia Cao/ Chong Chao/ Tang Chaow

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Natural Cordyceps from Bhutan.

In Bhutan Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) locally called as "Yartsa Goenbub" which is an insect parasite fungus having high commercial demand as tonic/aphrodisiac

In Bhutan, Cordyceps sinensis thrives at altitudes between ***0 to ***0 meters above sea level, in the cold, grassy, alpine pastures of Bumthang Paro, Thimphu, Wangduephodrang, Gasa, Lhuntse, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and Haa. Every year collectors spend four weeks in May/June collecting Cordyceps under the harsh conditions of the high altitudes.

Only experienced collectors manage to find *0 to *0 pieces of grade ‘A’ quality a day. For its high value, Cordyceps is considered the Gold of the Himalayas. Today, apart from few live caterpillars collected from Lingzhi taken to UK and at the research center in Yusipang, there is no adulteration and artificial cordyceps business in Bhutan.

Moreover, the Royal Government of Bhutan with its development philosophy of Gross National Happiness has always been cautious in terms of forest based natural product extraction. Cordyceps sinensis being one of the valuable natural products, the Royal Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests protects its habitat, regulates collection and coordinates the auction of cordyceps.

Further, in order to promote sustainable management, check illegal trade and duplication, only the villagers from cordyceps growing areas are allowed to collect at a particular time in season monitored by the local leaders and forestry officials.

The transaction process also ensure check and balance where buyers will have to fill up how many kilogram’s of cordyceps they buy from the farmers and for how much. The transaction between the buyers and the sellers should take place in presence of the sales committee comprising the local leader and a forestry official who will be the witness.

Buyers can go to any cordyceps growing places and buy the plant and after having bought the plant from the farmers, they will have to get a clearance from the Bhutan Agriculture Food Regulatory Authority which will issue a certificate to the buyers wanting to export it to other countries. The certificate will maintain that the package contains cordyceps to avoid buyers getting into problems with the forestry and customs personnel when they export it to other countries.

Recently, a team of experts from the Ministry of agriculture and Forests observed that the density of the cordyceps growth were about 5 per square meter which was more compared to other neighbouring countries of similar altitude having one cordyceps per square meter.