Ginseng has been growing in North America
for 70 million years.
North Americans have been selling ginseng
to the Chinese for 300 years (it was the United States' first
major export to China in 1800).
Westerners use ginseng mainly as
a stimulant or to relieve fatigue, while Chinese use it as an all-purpose
tonic.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the nature of
Chinese ginseng is 'hot,' while American is 'cool.'
It takes cultivated
ginseng six to eight years to reach the size desired by Asian markets.
