What is mountain-cultivated wild ginseng (Sanyang-samsam)?

Sanyang-samsam refers to ginseng grown in a natural state after human beings collect wild ginseng seeds and scatter them in the mountains. In other words, Sanyang-samsam is ginseng "raised" (養) in the mountains (山). Ginseng grown by scattering seeds in the mountains or by transplanting seedlings raised in fields into the mountains to grow naturally is also called Sanyang-samsam, and it is sometimes referred to as Jangnoe-samsam. Sanyang-samsam production usually begins after 5-6 years; as the survival rate drops sharply with time, the price of aged, high-year-root Sanyang-samsam increases significantly. Let us briefly introduce ginseng.

Ginseng (Sam)

Sam is a general term for plants from which coarse, long hemp fibers can be extracted, including hemp, flax, and ramie; it is a native Korean word that has appeared in records since the 15th century, after the creation of Hangul. The Hanja Sam (蔘) is a character used as part of plant names such as insam (cultivated ginseng), sansam (wild ginseng), dongsam, dangsam, mansam, and bongsam. Because the roots resemble the human form, the Chinese term Insam (人蔘 = person 人, ginseng 蔘) was created. Just as a wild ginseng digger is called 'Simmani' in Korean, Sim is a native word referring to wild ginseng, and it is presumed that the 'Sim' in Simmani originated from 'Sam'.

Insam and Sansam

Insam (cultivated ginseng) is a globally famous representative health food of Korea. Since its origin is our land, it has been with our ancestors for ages. Sansam (wild ginseng) belongs to the same species as insam in terms of plant taxonomy. The term "insam" originally referred to plants growing in the mountains, but once cultivation began, the term "insam" became the name for the cultivated variety, and sansam was coined to distinguish the wild-growing variety. Thus, sansam refers to wild-type ginseng, while insam refers to the cultivated variety.

The roots of cultivated ginseng and wild ginseng show several differences. First, cultivated ginseng is much larger than wild ginseng. Second, cultivated ginseng lacks the horizontal rings (=transverse wrinkles/rings) on the body that wild ginseng possesses. Third, the rootlets of cultivated ginseng are soft and break easily, whereas wild ginseng rootlets are tough and resilient. Fourth, wild ginseng has okju (pearl-like tubercles) remaining where smaller rootlets fell off, whereas cultivated ginseng does not. Fifth, the rhizome (head) of cultivated ginseng is very thick and short, while that of wild ginseng is thin and long.

Cultivated ginseng grows quickly with human assistance and is harvested in 5-6 years, while wild ginseng grows on its own in harsh environments without human help, developing over decades or even centuries, which leads to these distinct characteristics. Because wild ginseng appears as a mystical plant in Korean folklore and historical literature, it is still perceived as a very mysterious entity by modern people today. Consequently, wild ginseng remains highly valued, and its trading price is very high. Below are photos of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng.

As shown in the photo above, there is a clear difference in the length of the rhizome between cultivated ginseng and wild ginseng. The rhizome refers to the connecting part between the top of the plant where the stalk emerges in spring and the main body. Since new sprouts emerge from the top of the rhizome (the "hairpin" tip) every spring, traces of time remain on it. While these marks help estimate the age of wild ginseng, one cannot rely solely on the rhizome to determine the age, as there are years when stalks do not sprout.

Types of Wild Ginseng

Wild ginseng is broadly divided into three types: Cheonjong-sansam (heaven-sent), Sanyang-sansam (mountain-cultivated), and Jangnoe-sansam (long-rhizome). They can also be classified as Cheonjong (heaven-bred), Jijong (earth-bred), and Injong (human-bred).

Cheonjong-sansam

Cheonjong-sansam (Heavenly variety) refers to wild ginseng that has been living and propagating in the mountains for generations since its first appearance. This is the variety that has been aged for decades or centuries; it is the ginseng that Simmani (ginseng diggers) would seek after performing cleansing rituals and mountain deity rites. It is the type of ginseng that has birthed numerous myths and legends. The price of Cheonjong-sansam is determined by experts. It lives in the deep mountains throughout Korea (excluding Jeju Island), northeastern China, and the Russian Far East.

Sanyang-sansam

Sanyang-sansam (Mountain-raised ginseng) refers to wild ginseng seeds that have been scattered in the mountains by humans and left to grow on their own in a natural state; it is often shortened to Sanyang-sam. Historically, it began to appear around the late Goryeo Dynasty. Since humans only intervene in dispersing the seeds and not in the growth process, it is essentially no different from Cheonjong-sansam, but because human intervention occurred, it is not valued as highly as Cheonjong-sansam.

Jangnoe-sansam

Jangnoe-sansam (Long-rhizome ginseng) means, as the Hanja implies, wild ginseng with a long (Jang) rhizome (Noe); it is also shortened to Jangnoe-sam. This term is used to distinguish it from pure wild ginseng. While it possesses the characteristics of wild ginseng, it is not considered "perfect" wild ginseng like Cheonjong or Sanyang-sansam.

There are three types of Jangnoe-sam: first, Sanjang-noe, which grows in the mountains after animals eat cultivated ginseng seeds and disperse them through excrement; second, Ssi-jangnoe, where people scatter seeds in the mountains; and third, Myo-jangnoe, where seedlings from a ginseng field are transplanted into the mountains. In China, because it is transplanted, it is called Isansam (moved-mountain ginseng).

Although the seeds of Jangnoe-sam are from cultivated ginseng, because they grow on their own or are raised in a mountain environment where wild ginseng thrives, Jangnoe-sam also shares the characteristics of wild ginseng. Since it is also raised in the mountains, it is sometimes called Sanyang-sam. However, the clear difference between Jangnoe-sam and Sanyang-sam lies in the origin of the seeds.

Below are photos of a pure wild species, Cheonjong-sansam, and a 5-6-year-old Sanyang-sansam.

Looking at the Cheonjong-sansam on the left above, there appear to be three main bodies; two of them were formed as the teoksu of the rhizome transformed. Teoksu refers to fine roots that stretch out like whiskers from the left and right of the rhizome. Sometimes these roots grow to the size of the main body. Such wild ginseng is called Yanggak-yeonjeolsam (Sheep-horn jointed ginseng). Since ancient times, wild ginseng with four or more bodies has been regarded as a top-tier specialty product fit for kings. You can also see the clear development of the rhizome in the young Sanyang-sansam on the right.

Why Sanyang-sansam is more expensive than cultivated ginseng

The reasons why Sanyang-sansam, which is much smaller than cultivated ginseng, is more expensive are: first, the years of growth are much longer; second, the saponin content is significantly higher; and third, Rg3 and Rh2 saponins, which are highly valued in red ginseng, are key components of Sanyang-sansam.

In the past, Sanyang-sansam was grown for decades before being commercialized, making it extremely expensive, but nowadays it is commercialized earlier—after 5-6, 7, 10, or 12 years—making it more affordable. Since history began, wild ginseng has been a special health ingredient that only a select few, such as royalty or high-ranking officials, could enjoy. Today, even ordinary citizens can afford to try Sanyang-sansam. Because Cheonjong-sansam is so rare, it remains difficult for anyone but the very wealthy to obtain.

Components of Ginseng

Below is the general composition table for ginseng. Since ginseng, Sanyang-sansam, and wild ginseng are biologically the same species, one can indirectly understand the composition of Sanyang-sansam and wild ginseng by examining the composition of cultivated ginseng. "Dry weight basis" means that the moisture was completely excluded during composition analysis.

General Composition Table of Ginseng Roots (National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Dry weight basis, 2022, 90Kcal/100g of fresh ginseng)

The producer/supplier of the Sanyang-sansam is Minguk Sansam, which cultivates and produces it in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do. They possess the premium brand Dodam, a luxury brand that distributes high-quality Sanyang-sansam produced in Hoengseong-gun domestically. Minguk Sansam is a company where several producers, including representative Jinsangbin and Yeom Sun-ja, work together.

5 roots: 85g -+10g, 10 roots: 170g+-20g, 15 roots: 255g+-30g, 20 roots: 340g+-40g

Typically, the weight of one root is about 15g-20g.

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