: Bhutan Himalayan Organic Cordyceps, Nurturing Nature’s Bounty for Your Well-being”
One of the most popular extracts includes Cordyceps from the mountains. Cordyceps Sinensis is seen as a very precious medicinal mushroom and parasitic fungi with significant medicinal value/. Cordyceps also known as Yartsa Goenbub translates to “summer-grass winter-worm”, Local people believe that it takes the form of a ‘plant’ during summer and an ‘animal’ during winter. It is a unique combination of a yellow caterpillar and a fungus.
Cordyceps sinensis is a protected species in Bhutan. The cordyceps is also found in the highlands of China, Tibet, and Nepal, and it’s extremely expensive and rare. Currently, due to its various beneficial effects and limited supply, the price of C. sinensis has increased dramatically and is much more expensive, even 4 times, than gold by weight. Today cordyceps has been classified as an authentic herbal drug for over 300 years.
from Bhutan is gaining popularity worldwide due to its instant health benefits, organic nature, and high value. Nomads and highlanders of Bumthang, Wangdue Phodrang, Gasa, Paro, Thimphu, Lhuntse, and Trashi Yangtse were gifted the opportunity from the throne in 2004 to harvest and market the Cordyceps. Since then, it has become an important source of income for highlanders in the Cordyceps growing areas.
When I was studying my ambition was to become a teacher and I did fulfill my aspiration by becoming a teacher. I served as a teacher for the Royal Government of Bhutan for around two years and then I resigned.
Later on, I started to develop my interest in tourism as I love interacting with new people. To engage in the tourism industry I felt the need to upgrade my knowledge, hence I took guide training to become a professional guide.
Once I started guiding at numerous travel agents, thats when I was introduced to the cordyceps business and the trade related to this rare and expensive herb. As I trekked along with the tourists I was able to connect with the highlanders who were mostly into harvesting cordyceps from the Himalyan Mountain of Bhutan. I was able to befriend most of the highlanders and today we have become like a family over the same interest ‘cordyceps’.
Today I am not only a guide but I also run this travel agent and have also become a successful cordyceps’ entrepreneur. In the year 2018, I established the Bhutan Himalayan Organic Cordyceps Company to trade and export high-quality cordyceps to countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Hongkong, China, the USA, and a few other countries.
Within 5 years Bhutan Himalayan Organic Cordyceps Company has managed to capture the cordyceps market abroad and has affiliated with reliable partners in aforementioned countries. This has accelerated the strong business alliance and friendship between me and my expat partners. Besides, we are also helping in changing our customer’s lifestyles and wellbeing. Back at home, the highlanders who harvest cordyceps from the mountains in a very harsh environment are also paid off well.
As the CEO of this company, I strive to cater the best product to our clients, give opportunities for employment to more women and girls from the highland, and further work on diversifying cordyceps products in the future.
TASHI DELEK
The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan in ancient times was known as the land of medicinal plants ‘Menjong Gyelkhap.’ Today Bhutan is not only known as the biodiversity hotspot with several endangered species of flora and fauna but it is home to more than 7,000 species of herbs and plants. More than 600 medicinal plant species are identified in Bhutan, around half of which are currently used in preparing medicines.
