"Found 136 Million Won Treasure"... 17 Ginseng Roots Estimated 70 Years Old Discovered in Jirisan

Estimated Approximately 70 Years Old Mosam Tree

Seventeen family wild ginseng roots, including a mother root (female wild ginseng) estimated to be about 70 years old, were discovered in bulk on Jirisan Mountain.

On the 13th, the Korea Traditional Simmani Association announced that a 60-year-old herbalist recently harvested a total of 17 large family wild ginseng roots at the foot of Jirisan Mountain in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province. The total weight of these wild ginseng roots reached 135g, including the mother root weighing 45g. The mother root is estimated to be about 70 years old, and its appraisal value was set at 136 million KRW, about half the value of a 100-year-old Cheonjong wild ginseng.

A representative of the Korea Traditional Simmani Association stated, "We confirmed that these are domestically grown wild ginseng through thorough appraisal, including separating fine roots to directly distinguish the scent, taste, and properties," and added, "Recently, cases where Chinese ginseng transplanted in advance to the mountains is disguised as genuine domestic ginseng have been disrupting the market, so proper appraisal is essential."

Previously, in November last year, twelve Hwangjeol wild ginseng roots estimated to be over 80 years old were discovered at the foot of Jirisan Mountain in Sancheong-gun, with an appraisal value set at 130 million KRW. The Hwangjeol wild ginseng found at that time weighed 83g just for the roots, which is enough for two adults to consume.

Wild ginseng is called 'Chunjeolsam' in spring, 'Hajeolsam' in summer, 'Hwangjeolsam' in autumn, and 'Dongsam' in winter, depending on the harvesting season. In particular, ginseng harvested before the summer solstice is called Hajeolsam, and since a significant amount of active ingredients are distributed in the leaves and stems, maintaining the freshness of the leaves and stems is most important.

Meanwhile, genuine domestic wild ginseng is characterized by a strong minty scent, a strong sweetness, and a smooth texture when consumed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.