Title: ""Korean ginseng is the best" 'Ginseng Party' at guesthouses for internationals

Subtitle: The ginseng party that delivers both fun and health

What's the first best medicine that comes to your mind when you feel weak? It's ginseng. The efficacy of ginseng is well-known to Koreans, but ginseng remains quite remote to foreigners as yet.  And that's not the case solely with internationals. Ginseng can meet objections from those Koreans who regard it just as a bitter medicine or have rarely been exposed to it.  But such perception if nothing but a prejudice!  Spotlight now shines on the recipes which retain the virtue of ginseng and make ginseng more accessible by combining the foods enjoyed in daily life with ginseng.

And the recent events targeting internationals, which brought comfortable publicity to the excellence of ginseng, drew attention from both locals and internationals.

'Ginseng Party' held by the Korea Ginseng Association introduced internationals to the superb virtue of Goryeo ginseng.  The ginseng party proceeded for three hours at each of the major guesthouses in Seoul on Oct. 1 and 2. About 60 internationals who participated in the event used the occasion to indulge in the attraction of the Korean ginseng by seeing, smelling, and tasting ginseng.

○ The exciting ginseng party held at the guesthouse

One October evening when hot weather lingered.

Over thirty excited internationals gathered at Ji Guesthouse located in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

​Lately, the guesthouses in Itaewon and Myeongdong among other locations attract a lot of foreign tourists who want to savor the essential taste and style of Korea.  

​They enjoy local tours in the morning and in the afternoon before they return to the guesthouse to share their Korea information with other tourists.  The party was thrown in those hours with the aim of bringing publicity to the excellence of the Korean ginseng for a number of internationals who frequently use guesthouses.

The party theme on the day was ginseng.  

​The foreigners who were unfamiliar with ginseng began scanning the prepared leaflet and smelling the scent of ginseng as soon as they came in.  Most of people who joined the party were westerners. What made the foreigners who were not familiar with ginseng feel comfortable with and interested in it was alcohol. They began by showing interest in the information on ginseng, and when the ginseng wine making started, they grew more alert and stayed riveted by the ginseng wine making process.

The audience preferred the ginseng soju which included red ginseng powder in it.  The foreigners who sipped the ginseng wine which added ginseng to soju, the alcoholic beverage representing Korea, were greatly gratified by the ginseng wine that emitted the characteristic soft aroma of ginseng.

Ginseng wine making met particularly favorable reaction as it was a participatory program. Making My Kind of Ginseng Wine was an experiential program which involved the removing of the head of washed ginseng and the putting of the cleaned ginseng together with soju into an available bottle.

​And the practice of creating a novel alcoholic drink never experienced before by adding to it the unfamiliar ingredient f ginseng delivered huge fun to those foreigners.

The word about the intriguing tryout got outside the party venue. The participants who made their kind of ginseng wine shared their experience and feelings with their acquaintances by uploading the photo images of ginseng wine on their social media accounts. On Oct. 2, the next day, another ginseng party was thrown at '24 Guesthouse' at Namsan Garden in Myeongdong, Seoul. This party set itself from the one on the previous evening by filling most of its audience with Asians from Japan and China among others.  With many families joining, the day's party registered a higher level of satisfaction with ginseng beer than with ginseng soju.

○ 'So, what is ginseng good for?"

Those international who were at the ginseng party were particularly curious about the virtue of ginseng. 'I feel more comfortable having my favorite drinks and foods combined with ginseng! But exactly how is ginseng good for my body?' Such questions were all answered at the ginseng party.

Those present got the answer through the translator who described how ginseng upgraded weak constitution by providing the body and mind with an extra supply of energy. Folks showed interest in the virtue involved in removing fatigue fast and improving blood circulation. The party described ginseng as being so virtuous that it is effective in removing stress since it soothes the mind and boosts the heart function.  Besides, ginseng helps prevent and treat the respiratory diseases and removes toxin from the body. The foreigners all reacted favorably to the explanation that ginseng, which keeps the skin graceful, is also effective in boosting stamina and immunity.

○ Delivering both fun and health

What was so eye-catching as ginseng wine making from the ginseng party at the guesthouse was the introduction of ginseng recipes.  The foreign audience was intrigued by the fact that they could add ginseng to their favorite dishes. Their familiarity with ginseng was increased as they learned the recipes tapping into ginseng such as ginseng and chicken breast sandwich, ginseng and young shiitake salad, chicken skewer with ginseng and assortment of vegetables, and hot wing.

Ginseng is no longer a health supplement that adults seek when they feel weak.  It is now perceived as a food ingredient that people can easily get to boost their immunity and build their health.  With the trend swelled by internationals who are new to ginseng, the favorable perception of ginseng will spread farther and wider.

As a program designed to raise positive awareness about ginseng, the ginseng party held at the guesthouses cinched its successful launch by delivering both fun and health. The Korea Ginseng Association, which has given two ginseng parties so far, will hold eight more of them by the end of the year. So, this year presents total ten ginseng parties and thereby creates a new culture with ginseng readily available to both locals and internationals. President Ban sang-bae of the Korea Ginseng Association said, "Ginseng party and various ginseng festivals will help boost ginseng consumption by getting consumers at home and abroad interested in ginseng."