A mushroom dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" sells for $136,000 per pound in Beijing. By comparison, a pound of gold costs $41,824.
The fungus, cordyceps sinensis, grows from dead moth larvae in the Himalayas and has been part of traditional medicine for centuries. As Bloomberg Businessweek reports,, it appears in everything from Whole Foods supplements to luxury gift boxes in Asia, especially around Valentine's Day and other romantic occasions.
Scientific evidence on its effects is mixed. An eight-week study found no significant boost to sex drive, but some researchers report dramatic results. "Men report their erections are more functional, stronger and longer," Tawni Tidwell, a biocultural anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison told Bloomberg. "It works for women, too." However, traditional Tibetan doctor Tashi Tsering admits that "faith helps" when it comes to the mushroom's effects.
Its reputation soared in 1993 when a Chinese track coach credited it — along with turtle blood — for his team's record-breaking performances. Since then, it has become a status symbol in Asian gift-giving culture, especially among young, wealthy consumers. "It's like fashion," explains Yi Shaoliang, a Chinese biodiversity specialist. "If everyone says it has value and everyone wants it, you will, too."
"Whether or not it works, I'm not sure," says Tashi Dorji, a mountain resources specialist in Kathmandu. "But psychologically it does."
"People fight and die over it, and we're not even sure it works," says Rajendra Bajgain, a member of Nepal's House of Representatives. "What's really unbelievable is how many people come from China to buy it and smuggle it home. It's out of control."
Previously:
• This tropical mushroom gives women spontaneous orgasms from sniffing it
• Tracking down the infamous orgasm mushroom
• Update on the orgasm-inducing Hawaiian mushroom
