How to select and identify Cordyceps sinensis

The selection and identification of Cordyceps sinensis should focus on the appearance characteristics, smell, texture and regular purchasing channels. High-quality Cordyceps sinensis usually has full insect body, clear ring pattern, milky white cross-section and a mushroom aroma.

1. Appearance characteristics
The body part of genuine Cordyceps sinensis is dark yellow to yellow brown, with 20-30 ring lines on the surface, and the color gradient at the connection between the head and the body is natural. The grass body part is dark brown and is about 1.5-2 times as long as the insect body. Inferior products may have shriveled insect bodies, blurred ring patterns or too short grass bodies. Note that some counterfeit products use starch molds to fake the insect body shape.

2. Cross-section texture
When high-quality Cordyceps sinensis is broken, the cross section is milky white, with obvious V-shaped digestive gland marks, and the texture is brittle and hard, easy to break. The cross-section of inferior products may be yellow or gray, and the texture may be soft. The traces of the digestive glands of the artificially cultivated Cordyceps are lighter, while the edges of the digestive glands of the wild species are dark brown lines.

3. Odor identification
Genuine Cordyceps sinensis has a special mushroom aroma, which is similar to the mixed smell of shiitake mushrooms and straw mushrooms, with a lighter fishy smell. Sulfur-smoked counterfeit products have a pungent sour smell, and dyed products may have a chemical smell. Cordyceps not stored properly can produce a musty or greasy smell.

4. Origin traceability
Cordyceps from plateau producing areas such as Nagqu in Tibet and Yushu in Qinghai have better quality, with thick and plump bodies. When purchasing, you should ask for a certificate of origin and a test report. Regular packaging must be marked with the year of harvest and the code of origin. Be wary of "mixed grass" promoted at low prices, which may be adulterated with inferior products from different origins or years.