Four Generations of Family Group... 20 to 70 Years of Cultivation
Appraisal Value of 10 Roots is 90 Million Won
Ten wild ginseng plants of the fourth generation family group, estimated to be up to 70 years old, were discovered on the slopes of Deogyusan in Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam.
On the 26th, Yonhap News reported, citing the announcement from the Korea Traditional Simmani Association, that recently a 60-year-old herbalist named Mr. A harvested ten wild ginseng plants on the slopes of Deogyusan. Wild ginseng refers to ginseng that has sprouted in the wild and has been passed down for more than 50 years, making it the most valuable among ginseng varieties. The appraisal revealed that these wild ginseng plants belong to a family group spanning four generations, with the youngest baby ginseng (child ginseng) confirmed to be 20 years old. The third and second generations are each over 35 and 50 years old respectively, and the mother ginseng is estimated to be 70 years old. The total weight of the ten ginseng roots is 82.5g, and their appraised value was set at 90 million KRW.
Ten wild ginseng roots discovered in Deogyusan Mountain[Image source: Provided by the Korea Traditional Simmani Association, Yonhap News]
A representative from the Korea Traditional Simmani Association told Yonhap News, "Wild ginseng harvested in the fall is known to have the most outstanding effects, such as boosting immunity," adding, "This result was made possible by the diligence of herbalists who repeatedly undertook arduous mountain hikes even in cool weather."
Meanwhile, last month, wild ginseng was also discovered on the slopes of Mohusan in Suncheon, Jeonnam. On the 9th of last month, the Korea Traditional Simmani Association reported that Mr. Kang, in his 70s, found thirteen wild ginseng plants while hiking Mohusan and requested an appraisal from the association. Chairman Jeong Hyeong-beom, who appraised the ginseng, explained, "The color and shape are very exquisite, and from baby ginseng to mother ginseng, it is a representative wild ginseng with the unique aroma and taste characteristic of domestic Korean ginseng." He further stated, "There are records that Mohusan ginseng was the origin of Goryeo ginseng," and added, "The fame of Mohusan ginseng has been known since the Three Kingdoms period as Baekje ginseng, remembered even in China's herbal medicine markets."
Mr. Kang, who discovered the ginseng, reportedly learned how to identify wild ginseng in the mountains after three years of hiking with other herbalists and closely observing wild ginseng. The ginseng he found contained saponin levels 1.6 times higher than the domestic average, and its appraised value was set at 70 million KRW.
In addition, in November 2022, Mr. Park (57), a simmani from the mountainous area on the border of Suncheon City and Hwasun County in Jeonnam, discovered a rare giant wild ginseng weighing 415g, which became a hot topic. The Korea Traditional Simmani Association estimated the value of this ginseng to be approximately 680 million KRW. The association also judged this ginseng to be the largest wild ginseng in the world. There was much public interest in who would buy this ginseng, but ultimately Mr. Park reburied it. The Simmani Association stated, "Mr. Park reburied the ginseng in a specific location," and added, "Instead of selling the ginseng, we decided to secure and distribute seeds to continue the excellence of Korean wild ginseng." The association also noted, "We are conducting additional analyses to identify the genetic factors that allowed the ginseng to grow to 415g."
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