There is a bewildering array of ways to eat, drink or take
ginseng, to the point where it can be difficult for a
The simplest way to take ginseng is to simply eat the leaves
from the plant. Unfortunately, unless you’re used to it, ginseng has a
distinctly odd taste, which makes the experience a little unpleasant. Also,
fresh, unprepared leaves will not last very long, which is makes fresh ginseng
impractical if you don’t live in a ginseng-producing country.
The most common way to consume ginseng is to make it into a
ginseng tea, by slicing up the leaves and then soaking it them in hot water.
Dried, red ginseng can also be used for this, if it is put inside a teabag or
similar device to keep the small dried leaf pieces from falling into the
liquid.
There are also some more unusual ways to take ginseng. A
popular preparation method in China
is to take some ginseng leaves and some chicken, steam them together twice, and
then serve it as a soup – it tastes mainly of chicken, but has all the health
benefits of ginseng.
Ginseng in health food shops is often also available in more
medicinal forms, such as pills, tablets and creams. Although these are easier
to use, you may find that they are less effective compared to the leaves
themselves, especially if the medicine also contains some other herbs.
If you’re just starting out and taking ginseng for the first
time, probably the best place to start out is with the tea, as ginseng is far
more powerful as a relaxing drink than it is as a medicine – see if you can
find ginseng teabags containing dried leaves in your local herb-selling shop.
To a certain extent, the smell and taste are as important as the actual
consumption if you want to get the full range of benefits that ginseng offers.
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