Darwin would have tried it. It is said that, on his voyage aboard the 'Beagle', Charles Darwin threw every exotic animal he found into the pot. Óscar López-Fonseca proposes us to travel the kitchens of the world with culinary experiences that, surely, the father of the theory of evolution would have ventured to try on that trip.
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Every country has a food, a drink or a plant extract with the supposed ability to stimulate desire or even improve sexual performance. These are aphrodisiacs, known and consumed since time immemorial, although to date science has not proven the real efficacy of any of them. Bhutan, the last kingdom in the Himalayas, could not be less, especially when it is the only state that uses the happiness index of its just under 800,000 inhabitants to measure wealth. It is already known that sex and happiness often go hand in hand. In this case, the locals have found their particular libido stimulant in valleys located between 3,500 and 5,000 meters of altitude, just a little below the so-called snow line, where it is permanent. There, the Bhutanese dig the earth in search of cordyceps sinensis, a parasitic fungus of insects that will be familiar to more than one because of the video game The Last of Us, turned into a television series of the same name that portrays an apocalyptic world in which men turn into zombies when they are infected precisely by this peculiar organism.
However, neither cordyceps sinensis – which in Bhutan is called yartsa goenbub, something like "summer grass winter worm" – nor any other fungus in the same family really poses any risk to humans, much to the chagrin of television scriptwriters. But they are for some insects. In this case, for the larvae of a type of moth present in this area of Asia. Once infected with its spores, the fungus parasitizes the worms underground and strips them of all their nutrients until it literally dries them out and kills them. Subsequently, the cordyceps sinensis unfolds a filament of between three and 10 centimeters from the animal's head to come to the surface and continue its life cycle. That's when man comes in. The Bhutanese come between April and August to dig in the highlands in search of it for the significant additional income it brings them, since it is a highly sought-after product in both Tibetan and Chinese medicine, where there is evidence of its use for more than 2,000 years.
The mushroom is offered in Bhutan in a myriad of formats, from capsules with its extract to the fungus itself together with the mummified larva to be used as an ingredient in all kinds of recipes. Óscar López-Fonseca
Those who praise these purported benefits claim that it helps prevent diabetes, reduces the risk of dementia, has antidepressant effects and boosts the immune system, as well as increasing vitality and lowering cholesterol. But along with these supposed health benefits, cordyceps sinensis is also reputed to feed the libido of men and women, which has made it the national aphrodisiac in a country where one of the religious references is Lama Drukpa Kunley, a Buddhist monk who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries and who was known as The Divine Fool for his love of wine. to sexually satisfy women and to show off his virile member in public. In his memory, many homes in the country have doors flanked with drawings of penises in full ejaculation. The Bhutanese claim that they scare away evil spirits and attract fertility.
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The mushroom is offered in Bhutan in a myriad of formats, from capsules with its extract to the mushroom itself next to the mummified larva to use it as an ingredient in all kinds of recipes, such as meat stews, or to add to local beer, chang. If eaten raw, locals say it tastes sweet with earthy touches and a bitter aftertaste. Within this gastronomic versatility, the size of the mushroom becomes more important. The larger the larva – those with a reddish eye and the rings of the body are considered to be of superior quality – the higher the price. Those classified as a higher category, which weigh around 0.33 grams, are quoted at 60 euros per gram.
Many homes in the country have their doors flanked with drawings of penises in the middle of ejaculation. The Bhutanese claim that they scare away evil spirits and attract fertility. Óscar López-Fonseca
However, there are cheaper formats to indulge in the sought-after mushroom, such as infusions in which the supposed aphrodisiac (in a percentage of 0.5%) is mixed with green tea from neighboring India and packaged in the classic paper bags to be placed in hot water. The color of the resulting drink is slightly brownish and the taste does not differ from any green tea as the flavor provided by cordyceps sinensis is very subtle. The Bhutanese recommend that, to obtain the supposed health and libido benefits, neither milk nor sugar should be added, and, if sweetened, it should be done with a small tablespoon of honey or softened with fresh mint leaves. The box has 25 sachets and, despite following the instructions, I am still waiting for the results.
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