Ginseng Tea
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Ginseng tea, or ''insam-cha'' (; ''insam'' means ginseng and ''cha'' means tea in Korean), is a
traditional Korean tea Korean tea is a beverage consisting of boiled water infused with leaf, leaves (such as the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis''), roots, flowers, fruits, grains, edible mushrooms, or edible seaweed, seaweed. It may or may not contain tea leaves. Hi ...
made with
ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as South China ginseng (''Panax notoginseng, P. notoginseng''), Korean ginseng (''Panax ginseng, P. ginseng''), and American ginseng (''American ginseng, P. quinquefol ...
. While it is called a
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
, ginseng tea does not contain
tea leaves ''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves, leaf buds, and stems can be used to produce tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (unrelated to '' M ...
. It is a
herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...
infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...
made out of the ginseng plant's root. Ginseng is a perennial herb derived from the aromatic root of Panax Ginseng Meyer, also known as Korean ginseng. Ginseng grows in shady forests that are cool and damp.Davidson, T. & Atkins, B.B. (2019) Ginseng. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health. It is a slow-growing plant and is difficult to cultivate. It can take four to six years before the root is ready to be harvested. Ginseng roots have a forked and twisted appearance that somewhat resembles the human body. Ginseng roots have been used in
East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
n countries for more than 2,000 years. The roots can be used fresh; however, there are various forms which can be processed in different ways for different uses. Fresh roots can be processed into red ginseng (홍삼, hongsam) by steaming and drying, or into white ginseng (백삼, paeksam) by a simpler process of air-drying.


Preparation

Ginseng roots are often ground or powdered but also can be soaked to make an extract or herbal tincture. Tea can be made from the ground ginseng. Ginseng tea is traditionally prepared with Korean ginseng along with
jujube Jujube (UK ; US or ), sometimes jujuba, scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'', and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus '' Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused wit ...
s and dried
Korean chestnut ''Castanea crenata'', the Japanese chestnut or Korean chestnut, is a species of chestnut native to Japan and Korea. ''Castanea crenata'' exhibits resistance to ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'', the fungal pathogen that causes ink disease in several Cas ...
s. These are decocted for several hours over a low heat, sweetened with
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
, and served with
Korean pine ''Pinus koraiensis'' is a species of pine known commonly as the Korean pine. It is a relic species of the Tertiary, identified as a rare tree species by United Nations. It is native to eastern Asia: Korea, northeastern China, Mongolia, the tempe ...
nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...
floating on top. Either fresh ginseng () or
red ginseng Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
() can be used. Ginseng tea can be found in a fine dry-powder packaged form or a dried grated form.


History

Ginseng was sought after in the ancient
East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
n world. During the
Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...
of China (475–221 BC), the preparation of ginseng tea was associated with good health and high status. During the
Ming era The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, th ...
(1368–1644),
Li Shizen Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political te ...
documented Korean ginseng tea in his "Great Compendium of Herbs". The 21st monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, King Yeongju, drank Geongongtang—a ginseng-infused tea—to preserve his health. In the Annals of
King Jeongjo Jeongjo (; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng, and succeeded ...
(1776–1800) which is part of the Joseon Dynasty Annals, the term "red ginseng" was recorded. The popularity of ginseng reached the western world according to text written as early as 1274 referencing
Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...
canonizing it in different forms such as syrups, powders, roots, and as a tea. During the
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
dynasty, ginseng tea is documented as a way to strengthen the body of the user to resist stress-related illnesses or complications.


Risks

A medical professional should be consulted before taking ginseng. Ginseng may cause interactions with blood thinning and anti-coagulant medications such as dalteparin (Fragmin), ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumodin), clopidogrel (Plavix), aspirin; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and blood pressure medications. Since ginseng can lower blood sugar levels, people with type 2 diabetes and those taking insulin or other medications that also lower blood sugar, should be monitored if they start taking ginseng. It is not recommended to give ginseng to children or adolescents.


Benefits

As a widely popular natural health item amongst Koreans, red ginseng in particular is available in various forms such as liquid, capsule, powder, round root, and even candies like jelly. Fans of this supplement consume it to relieve fatigue, increase natural immunity, and improve blood circulation. Currently at least two trials have been run to test the effectiveness of ginseng on memory cognition and in both trials, adults who were given ginseng showed a significant increase in memory function compared to their placebo groups. One trial was conducted by Professor Kim Man-ho at Seoul National University College of Medicine and the other was conducted under Professor David Ormonde Kennedy at Northumbria University. According to the ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology'', ginseng, regardless of where it is grown or cultivated from is believed to provide tonic rejuvenation, antioxidation, antifatigue, and neuroprotective properties to the consumer; implying the location ginseng is grown should have no effect on the probable benefits. However, all research and claims still lack extensive research and trials and a medical professional should be consulted prior to beginning treatment or supplementary care utilizing red ginseng in any form or quantity.


See also

* ''
Insam-ju ''Insam-ju'' (), also called ginseng liquor or ginseng wine, is an alcoholic beverage made of ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as South China ginseng (''Panax notoginseng, P. notoginseng''), Korean g ...
'', Korean ginseng wine or liquor


References

{{Ginseng Herbal teas Korean tea Panax