Ginseng originally grows in the mountainous regions of North Korea, China, Manchuria and eastern Siberia; it is cultivated in northern China, Korea, Japan and Russia. S.a. Ginseng, American, Siberian, Russian = bristly taiga root, The slow-growing plants require a lot of care. The roots of the 4-6 year old plants are used phytotherapeutically.
see also under Eleutherococci radix
Depending on how the freshly harvested ginseng root is processed, a distinction is made between white and red ginseng:
White ginseng: The freshly harvested ginseng root is bleached with sulphur dioxide after washing and dried.
Red ginseng; treatment with hot steam after harvesting. This creates a horn-like reddish-brown structure in the outer root layer, the ingredients are broken down less quickly. Red ginseng is therefore considered to be of higher quality than white ginseng.