Caterpillar fungus (Chong Cao)

Caterpillar fungus, whose Chinese name being “winter worm; summer grass”, is a precious Chinese medicinal herb. It mainly grows in mountain or grassland at an elevation of between 3000-5000 meters on Tibetan Plateau. It is the combination of mummified caterpillar and fungus. In winter, the caterpillar is born and before it pupates in spring, it is killed by this special fungus and its length grows to 5-10 cm, which looks like a grass. Caterpillar fungus is rich in fatty acid, protein and amino acids. It can be used to treat a variety of ailments from fatigue to cancer.