How to identify Cordyceps sinensis

Cordyceps sinensis is a Chinese herbal medicine, and currently it is unique to my country. It is very rich in both nutritional value and medicinal value. However, there are many varieties of Cordyceps sinensis on the market, and it is very difficult to distinguish the real from the fake. Some friends unfortunately buy fake Cordyceps sinensis, which does not have the desired effect when eaten. In addition, some unscrupulous vendors will add ingredients that are harmful to the body, which is very harmful. Here we will introduce how to identify Cordyceps sinensis.

Judging from the appearance, the authentic Cordyceps sinensis has 8 pairs of legs on the ventral side, and the 4 pairs located in the middle of the insect body are very obvious. The stroma grows from the head of the insect body and is slightly swollen at the top. It can be up to 4-7 cm long and about 0.3 cm in diameter. Looking at the cross-section, the genuine Cordyceps sinensis has obvious lines when broken open, and there is a black core similar to a "V" shape in the middle of the Cordyceps, and some may also be a black dot. This black core is actually the worm's digestive line.

Judging from the color, there are huge differences in Cordyceps sinensis from different origins. The body and tail of the Cordyceps sinensis from Nagqu, Tibet are translucent and oily, with a strong aroma of ghee. The Cordyceps sinensis from Yushu, Qinghai has a strong mushroom-like smell. The Cordyceps sinensis from other origins has a very light aroma. The body of Cordyceps sinensis is 3 to 5 meters long and 0.3 to 0.8 meters in diameter, and looks like a three-sleeping old silkworm. Of course, within this range, the longer and thicker the Cordyceps sinensis is, the better the quality.

The Cordyceps with the highest medicinal value in medicine comes from two top producing areas in China: Nagqu in Tibet and Yushu in Qinghai. There are two major cordyceps brands with good reputation in China, one is Fulinmen Cordyceps and the other is Tongrentang. Fulinmen is more affordable and suitable for home use; Tongrentang is about twice as expensive as Fulinmen, but more beautiful and suitable for high-end business gifts.

In fact, in addition to the identification methods of Cordyceps sinensis introduced above, there are some better identification methods. For example, when purchasing Cordyceps sinensis, if you find that the Cordyceps sinensis itself is relatively soft, or tends to be red or purple-red, and after breaking it open, you find that the texture in the middle is relatively hard, then this Cordyceps sinensis is generally fake.