American ginseng
The root of American ginseng, pale and ridged, grown in North America and sold as slices or small whole roots. Bitter first then lingeringly sweet, it steeps into a clean, cooling broth and is the ginseng Cantonese households use in hot weather or for the perpetually tired-and-dry.
TCM properties
Nature · cooling Flavour · sweet、bitter Meridians · heart、lung、kidney
Traditional food therapy
In the tradition it is the cool ginseng, used to replenish qi and nourish yin without heatiness, clearing heat and generating fluids; the choice for those both tired and dry.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalNot while a cold has not cleared, since it traps the pathogen and drags the illness out
- Not for a cold deficient constitution or anyone prone to loose bowels, since it drains the yang of the spleen and stomach and the more you drink the more tired you feel
- While you are taking it, avoid radish, which scatters the qi, and strong tea, whose tannins interfere with absorption
Preparation
The slices go straight into a boil or a double-boil. For a double-boiled soup, add them late to keep the ginseng flavour.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Wisconsin (also Ontario, Canada). openly retailed in AU across tiers, from grocer-grade cultivated to wild-grade roots
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists
