Chinese caterpillar fungus, referred to here as cordyceps, consists of an insect body joined to a stroma and measures 9–12 cm overall. The insect body resembles a mature silkworm, at about 3–6 cm long and 0.4–0.7 cm thick. The source describes a rough, dark-yellow surface, numerous transverse ridges on the back and 8 pairs of ventral legs, with the middle 4 pairs most visible. It proposes five identification checks:
1. Look at the appearance
The source says counterfeits may look more uniformly coloured than genuine cordyceps. It describes grassland specimens as yellowish brown with plump, softer insect bodies, and forest specimens as brown with full, firm bodies. Both genuine types are said to show white flesh, a dark point and a central cavity when broken. The insect head and stroma should join without an obvious glued seam; body rings appear in groups of 3 and become finer near the head. Moulded fakes are described as having symmetrical raised dots on one side and evenly spaced parallel lines on the other. These signs support screening but do not prove authenticity.
2. Smell
Real cordyceps have a natural mushroom fragrance with a slight fishy smell, while fake cordyceps generally have no smell.
3. Test the texture
Real cordyceps feel like dry grass when held in the hand, almost weightless. Rubbing the insect body and the stroma back and forth in the palm does not cause any color transfer. After putting down the cordyceps, the hands will only have some dirt and wood scraps, without any unknown powder. Fake cordyceps often reveal flaws in these aspects.
4. Taste
The source describes genuine cordyceps as crisp like green peas and increasingly aromatic when chewed, with a sweetness resembling shiitake mushrooms. Counterfeits are described as hard and gritty, with a strong earthy taste after moistening. This description is preserved from the source, but unknown specimens should not be tasted to establish authenticity.
5. Soaking Observation
The source says that after 10 minutes in boiling water, a counterfeit may lose its yellow coating and false stroma, which separates from the insect body. A genuine specimen is described as swelling and softening while its stroma darkens to blackish brown and remains attached; the soaking liquid may have a slight odour. This is a screening method, not proof of authenticity.
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Cordyceps Market and Series Pages
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Practical checklist before cordyceps quotation
If you have old stored cordyceps, first send photos of the outer box, weight label, and close-up of the insect body, so that we can assess whether it still holds buyback price value.
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After confirming the condition, you can schedule home pick-up or in-store delivery, with transparent pricing and immediate settlement upon transaction.
