MyHerbCorner

For me a big plus to live in New Zealand is cheap ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Croco (my husband) brought me 100 g dried ginseng from Davis Trading for just NZ$8 while I purchased only 1 g for the same price in Austria! Isn’t that amazing?! In my home country we use ginseng as a nerve tonic and for good memory.
When I first saw this big, whole dried roots I was surprised since we only get coarse ginseng in Austria.
Our new experience was funny because I first tried to ‘cut’ this root into pieces until I wished me an axe!
But then my husband had the great idea to use our stone mortar and with a big success the ginseng was processed into small pieces (and even powder) in no time.
Our first cup of this root tea was just an amazing taste. I nearly forgot how it tasted (because who can purchase this liquid in Europe? I only had my 1 g and that was it…)
Now I tried out different ways to make ginseng tea like decoction, infusion and just steeping as tea for 20 minutes. The results have been different. Decoction wasn’t stimulating at all while I couldn’t sleep when I drunk a tea an hour before bedtime. It was incredible to feel the tea working in my body. My thinking cleared and I just got so many great ideas and went straight out of bed to work on my computer.
In the internet I found a New Zealand based ginseng cultivation (please click here for the link) and read all I could about planting and working with this herb. Ginseng takes at least four years to produce big enough roots to harvest. It can be sown or planted and now I am looking forward to our own piece of land where we can try out to grow a batch of ginseng. How great is that!!!
By reading more about this plant I discovered that you can chew a piece of ginseng to gain new energy when exhausted and to balance blood sugar (you feel a blood sugar low by a sudden loss of energy and craving for sweets)
Ginseng shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy or if there is a heart disease since it can raise blood pressure and cause anxiety. It is recommended to use for short periods but it shouldn’t be a problem if you drink one cup a day. It is said to not use with coffee (stimulant plus stimulant… wow, the heart rate must really be sky rocking after that mix!)
Ginseng may also be used for jet lag but for older people or those weakened by illness this root may be the opposite since ginseng has a sedative effect for those who need sleep. You see, there is always the big sign ‘Listen to your own body!’
Another ginseng on the market which is less stimulating is Siberian ginseng (Eleuthrococcus senticocuc) However, I am happy with the Panax and are looking forward what I can learn from it.

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