Korea's Ginseng Market

/root - IMG_1040, originally uploaded by jeroen020.

The Latin name for the ginseng plant is Panax which means "all-heal." Carl Linnaeus, the man responsible for all those Latin names, had heard about the reported healing attributes of ginseng as the Chinese applied it. Since then the plant has become a staple of the alternative-medicine market. Ginseng boosters claim that the plant is effective against conditions as diverse as diabetes, male impotence, allergies, and cancer.

Because the actual chemical components of the ginseng plant cannot be patented for pharmaceutical purposes not much quantitative research has been preformed on its effects. Nevertheless many people in the East and West believe in the healing effects of ginseng. Some extremely wealthy Koreans are willing to pay many thousands of dollars for rare, wild ginseng plants.

The New York Times just reported that a 8.3 ounce ginseng plant sold for $65,000. The person who discovered the Lexus-of-plants claimed to have a spiritual experience before finding the plant on Mt. Sobaek, seeing "three pillars of fire." The struggling South Korean economy has driven many people into the mountains searching for the elusive root-plants.

The picture above is of Namdaemon market in Seoul, South Korea. Ginseng roots are preserved in jars and left on display for the market's patrons.