New Yorkers are paying $800 an ounce for fungus-encrusted dried silkworms for enhancing their libido as promised. This virility remedy is known as “Himalayan Viagra” promises to act slowly if consumed regularly with food.
The drug called, “yarsagumba” or “dong chong xia cao” can also be brewed into an anti-impotence tea. These silk worms are from the highlands of Nepal, where they are attacked by a fungus that kills and entombs them.
Thomas Leung, owner of Kamwo, a Chinese herbal pharmacy in New York explains, “It’s like the ultimate invasion of the body snatchers.” Mr Leung adds, “It would cost you about $200 per serving,” explaining that the price of the stuff has risen from mere $6.50 a few decades ago to this. “It’s hard to come by, and the demand for it is very high because of there’s a lot of hype. People always ask, ‘Is it really that good?’…And I say, ‘It’s not $800 good’,” he admits.
By Dr Ananya Mandal