A kind of high-protein worms has become a nutritional supplement in the eye of many parents in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

They believe eating the worms can sharpen children's appetite and improve their immunization. They either fry the worms or grind them into powder, today's City Express reported.

The worms, about eight to nine centimeters long, live on the roots of a shrub called Yunshi in Chinese and Caesalpinia decapetala in Latin.

In the old days, people trade one such worm for more than 10 kilos of rice. Today, one worm can cost up to 100 yuan (US$16.06). They are raised with rice, the paper said.

Yao Yanhong, an agricultural expert, said traditional Chinese medicine recognizes the curative properties of this worm, which smells good and tastes good after it is baked," she added.