This rare Himalayan fungus costs ₹15 lakh per kilo
Yarsagumba, a rare Himalayan fungus, stole the spotlight at Karnataka's Koppal horticulture fair on February 16 with its jaw-dropping price tag of ₹15 lakh per kilo.
For context, that's over five times pricier than silver—so one kilo of Yarsagumba could buy you more than five kilos of silver!
What is yarsagumba and why is it so expensive?
Yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) grows on ghost moth caterpillars way up in the mountains of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and India.
Premium pieces are just 4-6cm long with brown stalks and golden-brown caterpillar bodies—and it takes about 3,000 pieces to make a single kilo.
Its rarity and tough harvesting conditions drive up the price.
Prices have bounced back after dipping during the pandemic
Harvested each May-June from steep slopes with thin air, Yarsagumba isn't easy to collect.
Prices have bounced around over the years: they dipped during the pandemic but shot back up by 2025 as demand from China surged again.