There are many kinds of fresh ginseng, and the processed commercial ginseng is dazzling and colorful. How to distinguish the quality of various commercial ginseng is a science and can be learned. A brief knowledge of ginseng identification will help us avoid being cheated when choosing ginseng. Generally speaking, the selection of ginseng should be identified from the aspects of color, length, texture and smell. 1. Korean red ginseng, the morphological character is that the ginseng body is quite full, about 5 ~10 cm long, with a diameter of1~ 2 cm, and the top is flat and wide, with a forked double horseshoe reed head or a single reed head connected to it. The single reed head is called "single bowl reed". Due to processing and packaging, the ginseng body is pressed into a square shape, the joint with the reed head is not sunken, the lower end is flat, there are several obvious longitudinal edges, the surface is brownish red or yellowish brown, the texture is solid, the cross section is smooth and bright, the smell is strong, and the taste is slightly bitter and sweet. The surface of Korean white ginseng is yellowish white or light brown, the texture is softer than Korean red ginseng, the cross section is centered, the aroma is slightly light and the taste is slightly sour. 2. The morphological characteristics of domestic garden ginseng show that the main root is cylindrical, the surface is pale yellow, and there are intermittent horizontal stripes on the upper part. The rhizome is 2 ~ 6 cm long and 0.5 ~1.5 cm in diameter, with sparse bowl-shaped stem scars and one or several adventitious roots. There are 2 ~ 6 branch roots, with many divergent ends, and many slender whisker roots with tiny verrucous protrusions on them, commonly known as pearl points. Garden ginseng can only be used in clinic after processing. Commonly used domestic commercial garden ginseng, the specific identification method is roughly as follows: (1) Red ginseng: the main roots are mostly spindle-shaped or cylindrical, with a length of about 5 ~ 20 cm and a diameter of 0.7 ~ 2 cm. The surface is reddish brown, translucent, with occasional opaque dark brown patches, longitudinal wrinkles, inconspicuous ring lines, and traces of branch roots. The top has rhizome (reed head), which is1~ 4cm long and khaki, and there are 4 ~ 6 bowl-shaped styloid process marks on it. Hard and brittle, flat section, horny, reddish brown, with a light center. It is fragrant, slightly bitter at first, and then sweet again. (2) The characteristics of the ginseng are similar to those of the red ginseng, which is generally characterized by a round body length and a long rhizome and branch root. (3) Tangshen: The taproot is 3.5 ~12cm in length and 0.6 ~ 2cm in diameter. The surface is light yellow, and there are many intermittent ring lines at the upper end, and there are some peeling epidermis and fine root traces all over the body. The cross section is flat, silty, yellow-white, sometimes there is a pale yellow ring near the phloem, and there are often radial cracks in the center. The gas is slightly fragrant, and the taste is sweet and slightly bitter. (4) White ginseng: similar to sugar ginseng, with good shape and similar to wild ginseng, but mostly straight, with longer rhizome, scattered fibrous roots, short and crisp. (5) Sun-dried ginseng: the taproot length is 3 ~10cm and the diameter is 0.3 ~ 2cm. The surface is grayish yellow, with dark brown horizontal and vertical stripes. Fine branch roots and fibrous roots have been removed, leaving only traces. Brittle, light, flat, white, with radial cracks. The breath is fragrant, but the taste is bitter and sweet. Those who have complete rhizomes and fibrous roots are called "all-needed sun-dried ginseng". (6) White ginseng: The epidermis of the main root has been removed, and the body surface is pale yellow or similar to white. The horizontal stripes on the upper end are not obvious, but the traces of shallow longitudinal stripes and branch roots can be seen. Other characters are similar to those of raw ginseng. (7) Stichopus japonicus: The main root is 5 ~12cm long and1.2 ~ 2.5cm in diameter, and the surface is pale yellow, and the ring pattern at the upper end is not obvious, but many pits caused by processing can be seen. The branch roots are light brown, and the branch roots and fibrous roots are tied into the shape of an ox tail with thin lines. The section is white. The smell is fragrant, but the taste is sweet and slightly bitter. (8) Ginseng: The taproot is 5 ~15cm long, and the surface is light yellow and translucent. There are obvious longitudinal stripes and brown horizontal stripes at the top. Fine branch roots and fibrous roots have been removed. The texture is hard and brittle, the section is flat, and it is transparent and horny. The smell is fragrant but bitter. 3. Wild ginseng Wild ginseng is also called wild ginseng (see right). Its main root is thick and short, similar to the length of rhizome, and has two main branches, which are quite similar in shape to the human body and have thin and deep transverse rings on them. The rhizome is slender, generally 3 ~ 9 cm in length, and the upper part is twisted, which is customarily called "wild-necked reed". The reed bowl is dense, and the lower part is smooth without reed bowl, commonly known as "round reed". The fibrous root is sparse, and its length is1~ 2 times that of the main root. It is flexible and not easy to break, with obvious verrucous processes. After processing, there are three kinds of wild ginseng products: sun-dried ginseng, sugar ginseng and pinch ginseng. Its characters are similar to the corresponding garden ginseng products except the whole shape. And those with large branches, full pulp, fine lines, long reeds, dense bowls, round reeds and pearl dots are the best products. 4. The body shape of Panax japonicus is similar to that of Panax japonicus at the beginning, the main difference is that the lower part of the main root is often fat, the texture is thick and shallow, and it extends to the middle of the main root, and there are fewer pearl points in the fibrous root. There are three kinds of processed products: sun-dried ginseng, sugar ginseng and pinched ginseng. In a word, among these various kinds of commercial ginseng, regardless of the processing methods, the best products are long, large branches and long stems. On the contrary, those with thin branches, short stems or heavy sugar are of secondary quality.