Cordyceps (Fruiting Body) - Cordyceps militaris - Chong Cao Hua - Organic

From China

Winter worm, summer grass. The Chinese name for the wild original, dong chong xia cao, means winter worm and summer grass - a fungus that grows out of a caterpillar buried on the Tibetan plateau, and looks like an insect in the cold months and a blade of grass by summer. Tibetans call it yartsa gunbu. For centuries it was rare enough to be reserved for the imperial household.

Be clear about what this is: the wild plateau species is now one of the most expensive biological products on earth by weight. This is Cordyceps militaris, its orange cultivated cousin, grown on grain in Fujian - no caterpillar involved, and available for the price of a jar of tea.

How it is used: the orange fruiting bodies are steeped as a tea, or dropped into chicken and duck soup near the end of cooking. Mild and faintly sweet.