Himalayan Viagra: A Mushroom Rises High

It’s one of the most expensive and elusive herbs in the world, selling at up to 8,000€ a kilo. Chinese billionaires want it for its legendary powers as an aphrodisiac. Doctors prize its medical properties. Every spring, entire villages in the Himalayas empty as people go in search of the yarshagumba mushroom. But it’s a difficult task, fraught with danger. The yarshagumba only grows for a few weeks of the year at high altitudes in the mountains. Harvesters, which include young children, run the risk of altitude sickness and breathing problems. We examine the yarshagumba phenomenon, following the mushrooms’ journey from the peaks of the Himalayas to the markets of Asia.

Georges HALPERN, J.Y WU, John HOLLIDAY

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The magic cordyceps sinensis - Story Board 2011-12-14

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Ophiocordyceps sinensis clip

《大美青海》三江源 走遍中国 - "Great Beauty of Qinghai" Three Rivers Across China 20110220
Chinese and English subtitles

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Nature and Science - The Family of Fungi (CNTV.com)

Part 1: Children of the Forests
Part 2: Witch’s Circles
Part 3: Killer or Savior
Part 4: The Temptation of Truffles

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