American ginseng species

At present, there are two kinds of American ginseng on the market in China, one is imported from the United States and Canada, and the other is introduced. What they have in common is:

The shape of the ginseng is conical strip, thick and long as finger, no rash, no need, there is a more obvious body pattern 5-10 circles near the head, the surface has horizontal prominent lenticels, the physique is hard, the cross section is granular, there is a light brown ring pattern, and there are brown oil spots, no odor, slightly sweet, bitter taste.

On the other hand, fake American ginseng is also conical, but it is longer, more around the upper end, needle-like spots all over the body, no granular cross-section, obvious chrysanthemum pattern, no obvious brown oil spots, bitter and cool taste, no bitterness in the light bitter taste, and so on.

The type of American ginseng is complex, the quality is also good and bad, and even fake, so it should be identified when choosing and purchasing.

1. Imported American ginseng:

The main root of ① is round or spindle-shaped, the Reed head remains or has been removed, and the residual one is slightly inclined to one side.

② has a yellowish or yellowish white surface with fine skin lines and protruding transverse lenticels.

③ is full and sturdy. The broken section is slightly horny, and there are often small fissures between the skin and the wood or the center. The cross-section flour is white, the skin shows a brown layer ring, and there are reddish-brown dots scattered inside and outside the ring.

④ has a strong sweet and bitter taste and penetrates the throat.

The argument that imported American ginseng is better than domestic American ginseng is groundless. Scientific research data and clinical application data show that domestic American ginseng is comparable to imported American ginseng in terms of appearance and internal quality.

2. Domestic American ginseng:

① is long cylindrical, with sturdy branches and large Reed head.

The surface of ② is smooth, the color is dark and the longitudinal pattern is obvious.

③ texture is light and knotted, just like the red brick just out of the kiln, the powder is poor, there are few cracks.

④ has only bitter taste, little or no sweet taste, and has a cotton floss feeling after chewing for a long time.

3. Raw sun ginseng posing as American ginseng:

The rhizome of ① is cylindrical or hammer-shaped, and most of the Reed heads have been removed.

The surface of ② is yellowish or yellowish white, the skin lines are rough, and the transverse long lenticels are thick and short.

The texture of ③ is brittle and loose, the cross section is flat, white or grayish white, radiating fissures, reddish brown dots are not obvious in the skin.

④ tastes light, sweet or fishy.