Introduction:
American ginseng is the root part of ginseng, which belongs to the Panax genus in the Araliaceae family; it is mainly produced in the United States and Canada, and is also introduced in China, which the Chinese-grown American ginseng are called "planted western ginseng"; there are 2 types of American ginseng, "wild" and "planted", while the wild American ginseng is grown in the nature, planted American ginseng is artificially planted.
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American ginseng → produced in the United States and Canada, has a light-yellow epidermal with rough texture, the circles on the cross-section are more obvious; it is bitter when first chewed, but a sweet aroma can be tasted gradually. - Western ginseng → produced in North-East China, has a greyish-yellow epidermal, the ginseng has a rather firm texture and weights relatively heavier, with less lines on the body surface, and a delicate chrysanthemum pattern can be observed on the cross-section; has a bitter but sweet taste.
- White dry ginseng → produced in North-East China, weights relatively less, has wider intervals between the lines on the body surface, and marks of nodes can be observed; has a faint and fishy taste.
Function:
Tonic for yin and qi, retreats the heat and heals the lungs, nourishes the stomach and promotes saliva; suitable for people who are weak, having asthenic fever and always thirsty, or suffering from dry mouth and qi deficient.
Standard:
Has a slightly bitter but sweet taste, cool in nature
- Cut the ginseng root into thin slices, wash with water and it can be used for cooking or as a drink with hot water as a substitute for tea.
- American ginseng can also be grinded into powder, to drink with hot water as a drink or to be added into soup.
Way of storage:
American ginseng should be stored under good ventilation and avoid sunlight. If planned to store for a longer period, please seal and put into the refrigerator (0-8˚C).
- American ginseng slices are more suitable for drinking with hot water as a substitute for tea. Add honey for better taste and this drink can treat deficient fire, heat and thirst.
Serving suggestions:
Make soup with 25g American ginseng, 10 heart-shaped jujubes, 1 snakehead, 600g lean pork. The soup has an effect of healing heart and treating blood deficient, treating swelling and promotes growth.

South Korean ginseng → produced in South Korea, and there are 3 grades of them → "Heaven", "Earth", and "Good", and it is further graded as "Cut" and "Tail". It has a straight cylindrical body, and the diameter of the head of the ginseng is almost the same as the body. There are thin horizontal lines on the body, and some vertical lines in the middle part. It has a hard and firm texture and a smooth cross-section. It has a strong aroma, tastes slightly bitter but sweet.
Wild American ginseng – produced in America, has an irregular shape, there are dense black horizontal lines on the epidermal, with more lines when getting closer to the top. The colour of the ginseng depends on the type of soil it is grown in, but usually they are greyish-yellow; inner layers appear white. Wild American ginseng has a light and loose texture, with an aromatic sweet taste. Those with dense horizontal lines and light weight are of high quality.
Red ginseng strips – the main root is cylindrical, the epidermal is reddish-brown, appears translucent and occasional opaque brown patches. There are vertical lines on the epidermal but horizontal lines are not obvious. It has branched roots and the there is a node on the top. It appears orchid brown, has a weak aroma and a slightly bitter but sweet taste.
Description: