Ginseng

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Ginseng is a root primarily found in Asia (although there's apparently an American version). I've been drinking Korean ginseng tea for as long as I remember, and I love it in 삼계탕‎.

I'm used to working with the dried root, but Mom brought some fresh roots back from Korea in October 2009, and I stole a few of them. They smell really potent, and they cook beautifully.

I went ginseng foraging in Kentucky in 2016 with Mom.

Foraging

Planet Money Episode 818: The Problem Of The Root

Felicity Barringer. "In Appalachia, Stalking the Wild Ginseng Gets Tougher." New York Times (May 7, 2005)

Suzy Khimm. "China’s Gold Rush in the Hills of Appalachia." Foreign Policy (September 7, 2016)

Preparing Ginseng

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You can slice ginseng like any root vegetable. Mom's grandfather, who was an herb doctor, says that you should always lop off the stem, as you can see from the picture to the left.