Red Korean Ginseng

Korean red ginseng is one of the most assertive and most prestigious materials of the Chinese pharmacopoeia.

Taken from roots of Panax ginseng grown for 6 years on the traditional Korean cycle, it is then steamed and dried several times over — an alchemical process that takes white ginseng to red and gives it that characteristic translucent reddish-brown tint.

The slices, ready to use, give up quickly what they hold in a decoction or a long infusion.

A first-rank material of the supplementing register of the original Qi (Yuan Qi), traditionally kept for states of deep weakness: marked exhaustion, the aftermath of a hard spell, chilliness of the extremities, constitutions of deficient Yang.

More warming than white ginseng, it suits cold constitutions particularly, and people worn down by prolonged overwork, by a demanding stretch of life, or simply by age.

• Slow decoction (the Ling Jian 另煎 method): 2 to 5 g per day, simmered on its own in a separate bowl for 30 to 45 minutes, then added to the rest of the preparation
• Long infusion: 2 to 3 slices in 250 ml of water at a simmer, 15 minutes minimum, can be re-infused up to 3 times
• Supplementing broths: add a few slices to a chicken soup or a simmered duck — a classic of the supplementing cooking of winter

A powerful, warming supplementing preparation: not advised in cases of settled heat, of excess Yang rising upward, of constitutions of fullness, or during an acute episode.

Avoid black radish (Lai Fu Zi), which cancels its effects according to the tradition. Ask a practitioner for advice if you are taking medication.