Cordyceps

Cordyceps sinensis has been used in China for more than a thousand years. It is recognized as one of China’s herbal treasures, a tonic used to support the body’s source of vital energy, stamina, and the immune system. Its Chinese name, Dong chong xia cao, literally means “summer grass, winter worm,” since, in the wild, Cordyceps grows in the Himalayas from moth larvae. Because Cordyceps’ life cycle peaks in both the winter and summer, it is considered to have the unique property of balancing the primal powers of Water and Fire in the body, nourishing Yin and Yang, soma and psyche. Owing to its scarcity in the wild and increasing demand, methods of cultivating the mycelia on grains were developed in the 1980’s.