Korean ginseng is a perennial semi-shade herb (a plant whose aerial part dries up and just the root remains the winter and then continues to grow in the spring). In botany, it belongs to the Panax genus of the Araliacea family and its botanical name is 'Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer' named for Carl Anton von Meyer of the former Soviet Union in 1843. Panax is a compound word of 'pan' derived from 'pana,' meaning 'all,' and 'ax' from 'axon,' meaning 'treatment,' in Greek. This is because Korean ginseng has historically been used as a traditional medicine to treat many types of diseases as well as improve general well-being.

▶ Flower & Fruit

Only when Korean ginseng is 3 years old does it blossom with flowers, which bloom between the middle and the end of May. Korean ginseng fruit changes from red to green, when the flesh is removed and a hard seed emerges. Korean ginseng seeds are gathered when the root has matured to a prime 4 years of age.

▶ Leaf

Korean ginseng has palm-shaped leaves, which are called jangyeop in Korean, where 'jang' translates as 'palm.'

▶ Stripe

Korean ginseng in general will produce one additional stipe with every year of growth. In theory, a six year old root will have six stipes. However, if a root grows vigorously, it may produce one stipe more than its corresponding year.

▶ Steam

In general, ginseng roots grow only one stem per plant.

▶ Root

The most cherished part of the plant, voluminous in shape, Korean ginseng roots consist of a nodal rhizome, a thick main root, lateral roots and delicate fine roots. As the root reaches six years of age (the optimal harvesting age of Korean ginseng), the rhizome, main root and lateral roots will have grown into the shape of a man. Indeed, the word 'ginseng' comes from the Korean word 'insam,' meaning 'man root.

Classification by Growing Environment

Whild Ginseng	Ginseng that grows naturally in the deep Korean mountains.
Mountain Ginseng	Ginseng grown from the seeds of wild ginseng, which have later been sown in the mountains, cultivated in the natural growing environment of wild ginseng.
Cultivated Ginseng	Ginseng that has been cared for and cultivated in a field.

Classification by Processing Treatment

Fresh Ginseng	Unprocessed ginseng after it is digged up in a field, called Saengsam.
White Ginseng	Fresh ginseng, with peeled skins or dried raw. It is divided into Jiksam (straight ginseng), Goksam (bent ginseng) and Bangoksam(half-bent ginseng).
Red Ginseng	Strictly selected for quality and freshness, Korean red ginseng roots are six years old at the time of harvest. The carefully selected roots are steamed with the skins unpeeled, preserving vital nutrients and flavors. Light yellowish brown to light reddish brown in color, the steamed and dried Korean red ginseng roots may remain preserved for periods up to 10 years or more.