Used as aphrodesiac, a fungus called "Himalayan Viagra" is so prized in Asia it can sell for $20,000 a kilo.
Students in Nepal are digging in this semester, but not into their books.
Instead, they are out in the meadows searching for "yarchagumba," a high-altitude caterpillar fungus prized as an aphrodisiac.
Known as "Himalayan Viagra," the fungus is so sought-after in China and other parts of Asia that it can command as much as $20,000 per kilo, meaning its value is roughly between that of silver and gold.
The annual harvest of the fungus has left schools so empty that education officials decided to shut down until the gathering season passes.
"In this district alone, about 8,000 students have left school for the expedition," Prakash Subedi, an official at Jajarkot district education office, told AFP Tuesday.
"Without the students, there's no point running the school, so we close them. Even the teachers go to collect it," Subedi said. Some schools may hold extra classes in the autumn so the children's education doesn’t suffer, he added.
Though local schools urge parents not to bring children with them on the harvest, the plea is usually ignored since children can sometimes earn more than $1,000 during the harvest, Subedi said.
Yarchagumba, which in Tibetan means "summer grass, winter worm," is a parasitic fungus that grows on the larvae of ghosts moths. The fungus attacks the larva, killing and mummifying it before sprouting a mushroom from the caterpillar´s head.
Though no definitive studies have been published on its reputed aphrodisiac properties, Chinese herbalists believe the caterpillar fungus enhances sexual performance. It is boiled in water to make tea or added to soups and stews.
In addition to its use as a sexual aid, it is believed to cure a range of ailments from fatigue to cancer.
