Siberian ginseng

Eleutherococcus senticosus

root

The root of a thorny shrub from Siberia and north-east Asia that withstands extreme cold, dried as powder or as a decoction.

Origin

Siberia and the Russian Far East

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

The dried root, in pieces, is simmered for ten to fifteen minutes, one teaspoon per cup, then strained; as powder, a pinch is stirred into a drink.

Did you know?

It has been sold as “Siberian ginseng”, but it is not of the genus Panax: in the United States, only plants of that genus may be called ginseng. In the USSR it was studied in athletes.