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Goryeo Red Ginseng

• What is a red ginseng?
• Classification of red ginsengs

• 

  Red ginseng is the representative product symbolizing Korea among those made by steaming a fresh ginseng. National monopoly was applied since the Japanese invasion period when they produced red ginseng in Gaeseong area. The monopoly continued until 1996, which made it impossible to purchase in the private sector and also very rare to consume.

  In 1996, the national monopoly was cancelled and red ginseng began to be supplied to domestic consumers with many trials and errors in the early stage.

  The reason why they call it 'red' ginseng is that it contains a variety of beneficial ginsenocides other than its original ginsenocides in the course of steaming a fresh ginseng.

  Therefore, the Korea FDA accredits the five functions of immunity strengthening, recovery from fatigue, mnemonics, improvement of blood flow via platelet aggregation inhibitory effect, and antioxidation when it conforms to the requirements of a health food with a total of 2.5~3.4mg/g by summing up Rb1, Rb2, and Rg3, which are kinds of ginsenocides that was processes as a red ginseng product.

  In addition, the manufacture of red ginseng includes 14 kinds of processes with 6 year ginseng carefully selected among those fresh ginsengs to transfer to the factory to produce a red ginseng in brown or dark brown color with less than 15% of water content. The red ginseng so produced is the only health food that can be preserved for 10 years without change of its ingredients.

  Manufacturing process 14

  • selecting
  • washing
  • re-selection
  • steaming
  • primary drying
  • eliminating rootlets
  • secondary drying
  • formalize
  • main drying(Mainly solar drying)
  • sort by use
  • wetspot
  • pressing
  • drying
  • packing
• *Red ginsengs are classified into five categories of Heaven Ginseng, Earth Ginseng, Good Ginseng, Cut Ginseng and other red ginsengs.

  Heaven ginseng (Cheonsam; 天蔘)

  

  The best grade of the Korean red ginsengs. It has a high price and limited quantity due to quality screening.
  During the ear when it was under national monopoly and the whole quantity was exported, pan-chinese consumers listed five requirements for the best Korean Heaven ginseng as follows:

  • First,the body (trunk) must be long with a length of 7cm or more;
  • Second,there must be formed a sizable head;
  • Third,there must be two sound legs (large branches) supporting the body in proportion to the body's size;
  • Fourth,there must be red ginseng's original color of brown or dark brown; and,
  • Five,when cut, there must be dense tissue structure even without a pin-hole.

  These were the accurate definition of a Heaven ginseng at the time.
  These days, still, these are applied exactly the same though with a little bit of difference such as the length of the body, along with the changed time.

  Earth ginseng (Jisam; 地蔘))

  After selecting Heaven ginsengs, we select next grade ginseng that are in a little less quality than a Heaven ginseng, for example, with a little short body or legs. They still are excellent red ginsengs just off the Heaven ginseng grade.

  Good ginseng (Yangsam; 良蔘)

  After selecting Earth ginsengs, there are ginsengs such as one that lost a leg, one with less dense tissue structure, one with less graceful color tone, etc.

  Cut ginseng (Jeolsam; 切蔘)

  Those ginsengs that are cut off of or with crashed head or legs. As they are not distributable as Heaven, Earth or Good red ginsengs, they are cut and pressed to make another products.

  Other red ginsengs

  Red ginsengs with less quality that does not conform to Heaven, Earth, or Good red ginsengs.

  Red ginseng rootlets

  Those rootlets produced in the course of manufacturing red ginsengs of Heaven, Earth and Good grades. According to diameter, they are classified into thick rootlets, middle rootlets, and thin rootlets and according to quality, into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. They are mainly used as materials for extract products.