Spice market: Body building
Susan Jung
The phrase "wild ginseng hunter" doesn't have quite the same manly ring as "big game hunter" (although I'm not sure about what's so macho about using big guns to kill animals - many of which can't even be used for food - to the brink of extinction). But hunting wild ginseng isn't exactly a stroll in the park. The wild plant - which is harvested for its root - grows in unpolluted, mountainous areas that are often difficult to reach, and it takes a sharp eye to find because it blends in with the other forest foliage.
In Korea - where wild ginseng is thought to have almost mythical properties - the (wild ginseng hunters) purify themselves by washing, fasting and praying, to make themselves worthy of finding the root.
Fortunately, the plant can be cultivated, although its potency is considered far inferior to that of the wild root. Even then, though, it's not easy to farm: it needs cool, unpolluted water and soil; the plant grows very slowly (it takes about six years before it's harvested); and it depletes the soil so much that it takes more than a decade before it's ready to grow the next crop.
Ginseng can be purchased fresh or dried, with the latter being more expensive because it's said to be far more potent. And the root can be "cooling" or "heating" depending on the variety and where it's grown. Its alleged medicinal properties include curing cancer, increasing longevity and boosting energy and sexual prowess. The best ginseng is naturally formed in the shape of a human body, with head, body and limbs.
The bitter flavour of ginseng is delicious in chicken soup, where a whole bird is stuffed with rice, dates, garlic and chestnuts before being simmered with a whole fresh ginseng root.
