Hsu's Ginseng 133.4 American Roots 4oz

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), a Wild and Native Plant of North America

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a wild and native plant that primarily grows in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States of America. The root closely resembles the appearance of a parsnip, typically ranging from 6 to 18 inches in length, and usually bearing 3 leaves with 3-5 leaflets. This perennial plant takes 3-5 growing seasons to reach full maturity and be cultivated. American ginseng is highly prized and sought after globally for its unique taste, which is derived from the rich soil, minerals, and climate found in Marathon County, Wisconsin. The plant's reputation as a "cure-all" root among the Chinese and Native Americans has led to the establishment of the cultivated American Ginseng Industry.

Family Roots - 2nd Generation Farming Paul Hsu founded his company in 1974 as a mail-order business. In 1976, he hired his first employee, Ron Sandquist, as the farm manager. In 2011, the second generation of the Hsu and Sandquist families was integrated into the company. Now, Will Hsu and Nick Sandquist continue the tradition of growing the highest quality American Ginseng in Marathon County, WI.

Location - Marathon County, WI Hsu's Ginseng currently has over 1,000 acres of prime American ginseng farmland available for cultivation. Selecting the right growing conditions is crucial. The ginseng plants prefer loamy, well-drained, shady, and humus-rich soil that is at least 12 inches deep with a high organic content and a pH of 5.5. American Ginseng thrives only in virgin soil, and in Wisconsin, the fertile soil used for ginseng cultivation is never reused for the same crop, only for raising other crops. These special characteristics make American Ginseng grown in other areas of the USA different in appearance and taste.

Harvesting - A Labor of Love In early fall, the American ginseng seeds are gathered as the stems and leaves of the plant above ground begin to yellow and die off. For the gardens we plan to harvest, we remove posts, cables, and shade cloth. Just before harvesting, we scrape the beds to remove the straw cover, leaves, and stems. Traditionally, on smaller farms, a digger is pulled behind a tractor to mechanically dig each bed so that the American ginseng roots can be brought to the surface. The roots are then harvested by hand off the ground.

Cooling and Drying - The Final Steps After the roots are harvested, they are sorted and graded by lot. The roots that are dried are washed and chilled in walk-in coolers for weeks. The last step is to sort and grade each root by hand, so they can be weighed and packaged. All of our grading and packaging facilities follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Grades of Roots It is important to know the size of the roots you are buying. All of our roots come from our gardens in Marathon County, Wisconsin, USA. Roots are graded on a scale developed by Paul Hsu based on diameter (inches) and length (inches) once the root is dried. We then apply our SKU Numbers to the grades and wrap the products for final sale.

Product FAQ Q: Is this Authentic American Ginseng grown in Wisconsin? A: Yes, 100%. Q: Is this Authentic Hsu's Ginseng Brand? A: Yes, 100%. Q: Why doesn't the picture match exactly what I received in the mail? A: Each root is unique, and changes in weather patterns, soil types, and other environmental factors may impact the root while it is in the soil for 4-5 years, resulting in small variances in each product compared to the image. Q: Can you plant these roots? A: No, they are dried and for consumption purposes only. Q: How much does it weigh? A: Our roots come in 2, 4, or 8oz boxes, and the package size will be indicated in the SKU number.

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