As the last Wisconsin glacier retreated at the end of the Ice Age, it left behind mineral deposits that enriched the Midwestern state's soil and made the land perfect for ginseng, which can grow in the same plot of earth only once.
For generations, farmers in Wisconsin's Marathon County cultivated ginseng in the land's dark, fertile soil that gives it its strong bittersweet flavour, aided by winters cold enough to freeze the root in the ground and summers mild enough to stave off diseases caused by heat and humidity.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you