Punggi Ginseng Market

Punggi sits in a basin below Sobaeksan, and the combination of cool nights, sharp temperature swings and sandy soil is what growers here credit for the root's density - Punggi ginseng is generally reckoned the country's premium origin alongside Geumsan, and cultivation is documented back to the sixteenth century, when a local magistrate is said to have started it. The difference between the two towns is worth knowing: Geumsan is primarily a trading market handling crop from everywhere, while Punggi sells more of what is grown in its own county. The market is a working one - fresh root by grade and age, red ginseng processed by steaming and drying, extracts and dried slices - busiest at the autumn harvest, when a festival runs. Nothing here should be read as health guidance: claims across the counter are sales talk, and anything medical belongs with a clinician.

What you actually see

• The graded fresh root - sorted by age and size at the stalls.
• The red ginseng - steamed and dried, the processed form.
• The growers' side - more locally grown than the bigger trading markets.
• The autumn festival - the harvest event in September or October.

When to go

September to October for the harvest and the festival, when the fresh root is at its best and cheapest. The market trades year round on a smaller scale.

Honest expectations

It is a produce market for domestic buyers, with little English. We take no view on ginseng's effects, and health questions belong with a qualified practitioner rather than a stallholder. Top grades are very expensive.

Nearby

Buseoksa temple, Sosu Seowon and Sobaeksan National Park are close.