The Fruit of Longevity

The Fruit of Longevity

　　Ginseng fruit is native to the northern Andes in South America. It is a perennial herbaceous plant and a new variety that serves as both a nutritious medicinal vegetable and a fruit. Its flesh is sweet, juicy, fragrant, and has a unique flavor. It is high in protein, low in sugar and fat, and contains various vitamins and amino acids. Ginseng fruit contains eighteen types of minerals such as iodine, molybdenum, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, selenium, and zinc, as well as essential trace elements for the human body. It offers good preventive and therapeutic effects against various cancers, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In particular, its selenium content — which is extremely rare among fruits and vegetables in China — is known as the “spark of life” and the “king of anti-cancer elements.” Selenium also benefits cerebrovascular diseases (currently, 57 countries and regions in the world are selenium-deficient, and two-thirds of China’s provinces are severely lacking in selenium). Ginseng fruit has a calcium content higher than any other fruit or vegetable; each 100 grams of fresh fruit contains up to 910 milligrams of calcium, which is 114 times that of tomatoes, 36.4 times that of cucumbers, and 2.55 times that of black fungus.

There are many ways to eat ginseng fruit. It can be consumed directly as a fruit or used as a vegetable — stir-fried, served cold, added to soups, fried, steamed, stewed, or processed into canned goods, juices, and beverages. For cooking, green ginseng fruit can be prepared similarly to dishes with green peppers, bamboo shoots, cucumbers, or zucchini. Yellow ginseng fruit can be cooked in ways similar to cucumbers or tomatoes. For example, stir-fried ginseng fruit with shredded pork, or served with sea cucumber, squid, or sweetened with white sugar as a cold dish, can all become delicious dishes on the dining table.