Most expensive fungus

The most expensive medicinal fungus is the caterpillar fungus, also known as yartsa gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), which grows in the Himalayas. The fungus is formed when a parasitic fungus infects and mummifies a caterpillar, and it can cost as much as $63,000 (£51,600) per pound (450 grams). The price of the fungus has jumped by a factor of 10 over the past decade.

The high price is mainly due to its rarity, the gruelling work it takes to collect them, and the fact that it is considered a status symbol. The fungus is mainly sold in China, and the rich use it to show their influence. It has been prescribed by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine to treat everything from asthma and jaundice to joint pain and impotence (the latter being why it is sometimes referred to as "Himalayan Viagra").

The most expensive pieces of this fungus sold in Beijing, China, for as much as $140,000 (£107,800) in May 2017. However, the fungus is facing serious decline due to growing demand, and its future is uncertain.

The most expensive edible fungus, meanwhile, is the white truffle (Tuber magnatum) native to Italy and Croatia, fetching on average between $3,000–7,000 per kilogram. The price varies depending on how good the season is (from late autumn to winter), as well as the size of the fungus (the larger the truffle the better the flavour). The most expensive truffle ever sold was a 1.5-kg (3-lb 4.8-oz) white truffle purchased by billionaire hotel/casino owner Stanley Ho for $330,000 (£160,000) at a charity auction in Macau, China, on 1 December 2007.