In the 1980’s, the wild Cordyceps sinensis was in great demand and its price tag kept climbing. Scientists in China then set out to cultivate this fungus. But most of their attempts were in vain. As a result, there is no affordable cultivated form of this mushroom. Later the scientists ended up with what are Cordyceps anamorphs, mycelium cultures that are unable to produce a mushroom (fruiting body). To understand what makes a high quality mushroom supplement, let’s first look at a mushroom’s life cycle. The genuine mushroom itself is called the fruit (or fruiting) body. It produces spores, the spores land on the insect and germinate and create a network of mycelium (almost like roots). The mycelium continues to consume the insect from the inside until it is fully consumed and ultimately produces a pinhead, which grows into a new whole mushroom. The mushroom then releases spores and the cycle of life continues. Those anamorphs were then grown in liquid fermentation for creating mass amounts of pure mycelium. After extensive research, it was found that those anamorphs can be able to produce similar results to the wild Cordyceps sinensis. The most well-known of these anamorphic products is called Cordyceps Cs-4. By 1990, on the basis of positive clinical trials, the Chinese National government certified Cs-4 as suitable for use in TCM hospitals and it was also recognized as a new and safe natural supplement. When you see a Cordyceps supplement is mycelium made in China, it is likely Cordyceps Cs-4, considered to be a strain of Cordyceps sinensis made by fermentation technology, which means it should be 100% pure mycelium.