Ginseng Varieties

As ginseng comes to be sold on the worldwide market, there is a general misapprehension that Korea Insam (Ginseng) comes in two varieties, white ginseng (baeksam) and red ginseng (hongsam), though in fact these are not different plants. Ginseng is known by a variety of names depending on the methods by which it is processed and preserved. In its natural form as harvested from the field, ginseng is known as susam; when this susam is dried it becomes baeksam; when soaked for 10 to 20 minutes in hot water at 80-90퍬 and then dried, it is taegeuksam; when steamed and then dried it is called hongsam. Since susam contains about 75% water, it cannot be kept for long and can easily spoil on its way to the market, and so it is treated in various ways to prevent this. In processing susam into baeksam or hongsam, its composition is inevitably affected, but the change is very slight, and the medicinal properties are not greatly affected. Baeksam and hongsam have almost all the efficacy of fresh ginseng.

Ginseng is used as an ingredient in various foods and drinks. Powdered ginseng is added to hot water to make ginseng tea; ginseng is steeped in rice wine to make ginseng liquor; and together with dates and glutinous rice, ginseng is used as a stuffing for young chickens, which are cooked for a long time to make ginseng chicken stew (samgyetang).

Besides these, the most widely known products made with ginseng include tea, extracts, capsules, porridge, and honeyed, candied, or powdered ginseng.

Susam : When ginseng is picked from the ground and used without processing, it is called water ginseng (susam). Since the ginseng is not dried, it is also known as fresh ginseng (saengsam). Susam contains about 75% water and cannot be kept in this form for more than a week. In particular, it can easily get damaged or decayed during the distribution process, and this is why it is usually processed to allow storage for longer periods.

Baeksam : When susam is dried without cooking by the use of sunlight, hot air, or other methods, it is known as baeksam, and depending on the shape of the dried product, it can be further classified as straight ginseng (jiksam), half-bent ginseng (ban-goksam), or bent ginseng (goksam). Straight ginseng is simply baeksam that has been peeled and dried in its original straight shape; in half-bent ginseng, the “legs” of the root have been bent against its “body” before drying; and in bent ginseng, the root has been dried with not only the limbs but part of the body rolled into a circle.

Hongsam : When susam is steamed or otherwise cooked without peeling, and then dried, it is known as hongsam. Hongsam is classified by quality according to the shape of the dried product, as first grade (cheonsam), second grade (jisam), and third grade (yangsam). The process of steaming releases medicinal agents which make hongsam the most efficacious form of processed ginseng, and recent research has discovered that hongsam is effective against that enemy of modern man, environmental hormone dioxins.

Taegeuksam : Taegeuksam is made by steaming or parboiling susam in boiling water before drying. Reducing the moisture content of the ginseng to below 14% yields a very firm product that can be kept for long periods.