How much is Tai Sui per jin? Learn how to tell the good from the bad
Tai Sui is also called meat lingzhi. Records about it exist in our country from very early times. The Shan Hai Jing·Tu Zan says: “The gathered meat has eyes but no stomach; it is quite similar to the puffball; it is wondrous in that it never runs out, and when eaten by people it has a bland taste.” The gathered meat mentioned here is Tai Sui. What about the price of this ancient species? How can you tell the good from the bad?
The price of Tai Sui is mainly related to its quality and size. Among wild Tai Sui, first-grade Tai Sui (meat Tai Sui weighing less than 500 grams each) is worth 5,000 yuan per jin; premium-grade Tai Sui (weighing 500 grams or more each) is priced at 20,000 yuan per jin; and Tai Sui that can be used for collection (intact in appearance, with no wounds) can reach as high as 50,000 yuan per jin. Other wild Tai Sui of poor quality are priced at 800 yuan to 4,999 yuan per jin.
The main uses of wild Tai Sui meat lingzhi are soaking in water and taking internally, so its price is mainly judged from the following three aspects:
The first is the quality of Tai Sui's color. At present, the lighter the color of wild Tai Sui meat lingzhi on the market, the better its quality, and the higher the nutritional and health value of the Tai Sui water brewed from it. Those wild Tai Sui meat lingzhi with darker color have often absorbed large amounts of heavy metal elements such as lead, manganese, and copper. If such meat lingzhi is used to soak in water, these heavy metal components will enter people's bodies and harm people's health, so its price is lower.
The second is the level of purity of Tai Sui. Wild Tai Sui meat lingzhi grows in soil, and during its growth it often absorbs some impurities. These impurities cannot be digested and absorbed by it but remain stored in its body. The Tai Sui water brewed from this kind of meat lingzhi with low purity contains a great many nutrients and is not suitable for people to take, but it can be used to raise fish or flowers and plants. What people need is only the Tai Sui meat lingzhi, so the higher the purity of the meat lingzhi, the higher its value, and the higher its market price.
Finally, there is the water content of Tai Sui. The survival of wild Tai Sui meat lingzhi cannot be separated from water; it can survive only where there is water. Therefore, its body contains a large amount of water. The higher the water content, the lower the quality of the Tai Sui itself, and the lower the price. However, Tai Sui with high water content also means a longer growth period, and the quality of the Tai Sui water brewed from it is also better.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Sui is called the elixir of immortality. According to the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: “Meat lingzhi is nontoxic, supplements the middle, benefits vital essence, increases intelligence, treats accumulations in the chest, and taken over a long time makes the body light and prevents aging.” Because scientists around the world still have very limited research on fungi, and fungi themselves may also carry various harmful organisms or toxic substances, this claim has not been confirmed in modern medicine. It is not recommended to eat it directly.