Market Status and Cultivation of Wild Cordyceps in China

The market price of wild Cordyceps varies according to size, smell, colour, origin, and grade within different trading areas. The market price of Cordyceps varies within different trading regions, physical size, and appearance. Higher demand for wild Cordyceps leads to the challenges and threats of wild Cordyceps. The quality of Cordyceps is able to be identified and quantified. Due to the rarity of wild Cordyceps and their increasing price, researchers attempt to culture pure Cordyceps (mycelia and stroma) through biotechnological methods. The cultivation of Cordyceps is getting more and more popular as it enables us to solve the limitations of this resource in natural environments. With the continuous improvement of Cordyceps cultivation, two types of cultivation methods have been developed, such as liquid-state and solid-state fermentations. Cultivated Cordyceps can fulfil market demand, and quality and safety are assured without having a negative impact on their ecological niches.