In Search of Yarsagumba: A Short Documentary

After watching this short documentary "In Search of Yarsagumba" by Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Biosources, I could not remain without writing this blog post. I heard about a mystical medicinal power of Yarsagumba for the first time when I was in my middle school. But, I had no clue about how it looks like, how it test, and whether it has real medicinal properties! I didn't bother much myself to know more about this mysterious plant. It didn't catch my attention, in fact not only mine but majority of Nepalese people, until the Maoist armed conflict reached its peak. The plant came to controversy and took headlines of newspaper/TV not because of its biological properties but its use by Maoist to fund their civil war. This highly prized plant also caught media's attention due to the reports of conflicts between local collector and outside in the harvest time. Recently, Yarsagumba is near to the edge of the extinction due to overharvesting in Nepal (I guess in Tibet too). Local people do not have scientific knowledge and the government too does not have any program to educate people for its sustainable utilization. 


What is Yarsagumba?

Yarsagumba (यार्शागुम्बा) or Yarchagumba is a Nepalized Tibetan name for a rare and unique herb that grows in the pastures above 3,300 meters up to 4000 meters in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Bhutan, India and Tibet. The fungus is known in Tibetan as yartsa gunbu or yatsa gunbu, which literally means summer plant and winter insect. It is also known as keera jhar or keeda ghas (insect plant) in India. Scientific name of this herb is Ophiocordyceps sinensis and colloquially known as caterpillar fungus. Caterpillar fungi are the result of a parasitic relationship between the fungus and the larva of the ghost moth genus Thitarodes. The fungus germinates in living organisms (in some cases the larvae), kills and mummifies the insect, and then the fungus grows from the body of the insect.

Medicinal Usages

The medicinal use of this fungus has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine as well as traditional Tibetan medicine. Ophiocordyceps sinensis is known as a medicinal mushroom in the Western countries. It is used as an aphrodisiac and treatment for ailments such as fatigue and cancer, although such use is mainly based on traditional Chinese medicine, anecdote, and a limited amount of research. Clinical trials have not established its efficacy.

The fungus, also known as Himalayan Viagra, dramatically caught the world's attention due to the performance of three female Chinese athletes, Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia, and Zhang Linli, who were taking this fungus as a supplement. These athletes broke 5 world records for 1,500, 3,000 and 10,000 meters at the National Games 1993 in Beijing, China. 

Market Price

Recently, Yarshagumba became one of the most expensive herbs due to its growing demand and difficulties involved in harvesting. The price has increased sharply since late 1990s. In 2008, one kilogram traded for US$3,000 (lowest quality) to over US$18,000 (best quality equaling the largest larvae). 

In 2004 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 30,000 to 60,000 Nepali rupees in Nepal, and about Rs 100,000 in India. In 2011 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 350,000 to 450,000 Nepali rupees in Nepal.

Update: According the news report published on Thursday, 02 February 2012, in Nagariknews, current market value of Yarsaguma is $6,000 (USD) per kilogram (NRS 4500,000).

Photo: Yarsagumba

Yarsagumba collectors at Dolpa (Photo by Uttam Babu Shrestha) 

Enjoy a short documentary "In Search of Yarsagumba" by Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB). 

This documentary takes you to the high Himalaya where poor mountain people collect Yarsagumba putting lives at risk. Despite of high price, collector can earn only enough to cover their daily wages because of the time, risk and other associated expenses. The documentary shows you how risky and painstaking job to collect this herb from such a frigid cold mountain steppe.  It also discuss on issue related to sustainable harvesting of this precious herb.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Further Readings

1. Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Wikipedia)
2. YarsaGumba
3. The Himalayan Viagra 
4. Yarsagumba [Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc.]; Traditional Utilization in Dolpa District, Western Nepal 
5. Yartsa Gunbu - Cordyceps sinensis: Economy, Ecology & Ethono-Mycology of a Fungus Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau by Daniel Winkler