If you're looking for cordyceps or bird's nest near Little Saigon, the best place is a specialist counter where someone can put a whole piece in your hand and tell you where it came from. That's us: Ten Lei Yen, our family shop at 9741 Bolsa Ave, Suite 107 in Westminster (Little Saigon), sells whole wild and cultivated Cordyceps sinensis alongside edible bird's nest, and we've been a family shop on Bolsa since 2007. The same advice holds anywhere in Orange County.
Regular price
$245
Sale price
$220.50
Specialist shop, herbal shop or supermarket?
People ask us whether they can just pick cordyceps up at an Asian supermarket or a warehouse store, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you want to end up with. Supermarkets and warehouse stores often carry shelf-stable bottles, powders and capsules, which are a different product from the dried whole piece. If you want to cook with real pieces, you are usually looking at a herbal shop or a specialist.
A general herbal shop is a fair second stop. Cordyceps is a small part of a very big shelf there, so the staff may not be able to tell you the origin, the size tier or whether the piece is wild or cultivated. A specialist like ours deals with cordyceps and bird's nest all day, so we can open the pack, show you the whole piece, explain how the size tiers work and answer where it was gathered.
Online you cannot hold the piece, so we suggest a first purchase in person if you live nearby. Our article on buying cordyceps online covers what to check when you do.
What we sell at our counter
We sell whole pieces only. There are no powders, capsules, extracts or coffee at our shop. Our wild line is Ophiocordyceps sinensis from Nagqu, Tibet, though the trade still calls it Cordyceps sinensis. It is sold by piece size, Large and Extra Large, in 4 g, 8 g, 19 g and 38 g packs. You can browse it in our wild cordyceps collection.
Our second line is a cultivated Cordyceps sinensis from Tibet, in Medium, Large and Extra Large, in 3.78 g, 18.9 g, 37.8 g and 50 g packs. It sits in the cultivated cordyceps collection, and our guide to wild versus cultivated cordyceps explains how the two differ.
We do not carry Cordyceps militaris, the orange "cordyceps flower," as a product. It is a different, farmed species, so if that is what your recipe calls for, we'd rather tell you so up front.
What should you check before you pay?
Start with the piece itself. A whole piece should still have its caterpillar body with the slender stalk attached, and the color should be a consistent tan rather than patchy or oddly bright. It should feel dry and firm, never damp, sticky or crumbling.
Then check the paperwork on the pack. A seller should be able to state the origin, whether the product is wild or cultivated, and the size tier. Price should be shown clearly, per piece or per gram, so you can compare one pack with another. And a good shop lets you look before you buy. If a seller is reluctant to show you the piece, that tells you something.
How are pieces sized?
Pieces are sorted by size, which in practice means weight per piece, or how many pieces it takes to make a gram. Bigger, heavier pieces cost more per gram than smaller ones. We explain the sorting in more detail in our article on how wild cordyceps is graded by size and color.
How much should a first-time buyer get?
Start small. A 4 g or 8 g wild pack, or a 3.78 g cultivated pack, is plenty for a first try. How many soups it makes depends on piece size and how many pieces you put in each pot, and our guide to using whole wild cordyceps walks through the method. We describe our products by what they are, where they come from and how to cook them; questions about diet or medical needs belong with your physician.
Visiting us in Westminster
We are at 9741 Bolsa Ave, Suite 107, Westminster, CA 92683. We are open Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and you can reach us at 714-418-9788. From Los Angeles it is roughly 30 miles via I-405 or I-5, so plan around traffic. If you would rather not make the trip, we ship nationwide within the US from tenleiyen.com.
How should I store a pack once I get it home?
Keep the pieces in a dry, airtight container in a cool, dark spot, away from steam and damp. Open the pack only when you are ready to portion it out, and close it again right away.
Do you ship cordyceps outside the United States?
Our online shipping from tenleiyen.com goes to addresses within the United States. If you are visiting Orange County, you are welcome to pick up in person at our Westminster shop.
