Ginseng - The Healing Wonder

Ginseng is a slow-growing plant with fleshy roots, native to the cooler Northern Hemisphere climates of Eastern Asia.  In Chinese, Ginseng is actually called Ren Shen, meaning “man root”, which describes the resemblance of the forked shape of the root to that of human legs. 

The roots of the ginseng plant are traditionally used for its rich and potent medicinal properties, and abilities to revitalize the body.  Used as an adaptogen, ginseng can help increase resistance to biological, chemical, and physical stresses.  Studies have demonstrated that use of ginseng on a regular basis can significantly enhance one’s immune system.  Other studies have discovered ginseng’s usefulness when it came to aiding diabetes patients in controlling their blood glucose levels.  Even if one does not need to use ginseng to help alleviate medical problems, one can still take ginseng for a boost in energy levels.  Other health benefits of taking ginseng include lowering of cholesterol, increasing sports performance, resisting aging, increasing mental capacity, and supporting cancer treatment.

As good as the benefits of taking ginseng may sound, ginseng is not for everyone.  Intake of this plant should be avoided by women who are pregnant or nursing, young children, people with hormone dependent illnesses, and people dealing with heart problems.  Side effects of taking ginseng include and are not limited to agitation, insomnia, diarrhea, headaches, nervousness, and heart palpitations.  Ginseng may also amplify the effects of blood thinning drugs such as aspirin, and may cause uncontrolled bleeding.  Ginseng has also been found to interact with a number of other drugs.

Before you rush to the Chinese traditional medicine stores to stock up ginseng roots, I should inform you that ginseng tends to be very pricey.  A pound of the all-healing root, depending on the quality and origin, can cost anywhere from less than $50 dollars to a mind blowing thousands of dollars.  You may be wondering, as I did when I first saw this kind of price tag, “who in the right mind would pay such a price for a plant??”  Well this just goes to show that when a remedy like ginseng has effective and irrefutable therapeutic effects, any price would well worth it to those in need.

However don’t be discouraged by the price of ginseng, Piermall’s Red Panax Ginseng Extract Drink condenses the essence of ginseng into convenient and easy to use small bottles, at a very affordable price.  Now you can enjoy the full benefits of ginseng without emptying the wallet.  This drink is enhanced with a honey flavor to ensure that you enjoyable experience while becoming more healthy.

GHTC Premium 22 Year Red Panax Ginseng Extract

Lucky Eight Red Panax Ginseng Royal Jelly Extra Strength

Tong Nam - Korean Ginseng Grade 20 - Whole Roots

Fo-Ti - Traditional Chinese Tonic Herb

Fo-ti, Polygonum multiflorum,  is a plant native to China. The Chinese name of this herb is He Shou Wu, which means “balck-haired Mr. He”.  The story comes from the legend about an old villager who took Fo-ti to restore his dark hair, youth and vitality.

Fo-Ti is usually valued for its reddish brown bitter roots.  It is the root of Fo-Ti that is used for medicinal purposes. Traditionally, it is boiled with black beans to make a preparation known as red fo-ti. The unprocessed root is known as white fo-ti. Red and white fo-ti are used in different ways and have different curing effects.

The unprocessed (white) fo-ti  is used to relax the bowels and detoxify the blood. It is also used to treat skin conditions such as acne, athlete’s foot, dermatitis, razor burn, and scrapes due to its anti-bacterial and anti-fugal properties.

The processed root is used to strengthen the blood, invigorate the liver and kidneys, and supplement vital energy, called Qi by Chinese.

Processed fo-ti is one of the more widely used tonics in traditional Chinese medicine, and is used to enhance longevity, increase vigor, and promote fertility. It is also an ingredient in TCM formulas for premature gray hair, low back pain, angina pectoris, low energy, and other conditions.

Some animal studies show that fo-ti can reduce cholesterol in the blood. Fo ti contains lectins. In studies it has been shown that lectins may prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver and may also prevent the retention of fat in the blood. Animal experiments have also shown that fo ti can assist in reducing the formation of fat deposits and plaque on arterial walls. Fo ti can also reduce the growth of bacteria, and has been shown to increase the ability of laboratory animals to adapt to cold conditions. It also promotes the production of red blood cells. Fo ti has also been shown to have an anti-tumor effect and acts as an antioxidant. A number of scientific studies carried out in China show that processed fo ti may be helpful in treating heart conditions, high cholesterol and chronic bronchitis.

Products available on PierMall.com:

Royal King Hair Enhancer Herbal Tea with Fo-ti and Ling-zhi

Yang Cheng Brand - Shou Wu Chih Herbal Dietary Supplement

Ground Beef Calculator

Ground Beef Calculator by the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory provides the user with nutrient information for retail ground beef products containing any level of fat between 5% and 30%. The Ground Beef Calculator generates a nutrient profile based on the fat (or lean) content of retail ground beef and the preparation method specified (cooked patties, loaves, or crumbles). This program complements the ground beef data currently available in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Click here to start the ground beef calculator

Jujube Chinese Red Date - DIY recipes

Jujube Chinese Red Date

Jujube date is a very popular Chinese fruit. You can enjoy them fresh  during the fall (August~ October) in the northern China. But most frequently, they are enjoyed from dried fruit.  Here are some easy recipes that are popular in China.

Several commonly used ingredients mentioned below can be found at PierMall.com:

For Health Benefit

(1) For those who always feel fragile, tired, with poor sleeping quality
Jujube Chinese Red date, Dragon Eye fruit, Lotus seed

Wash all three ingredients
Cook Lotus seed in water until soft,
Add jujube date and dragon eye fruit for another 10 minute.
Sweeten with sugar, rock sugar or honey.

(2) For those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol
Use 8 oz celery, 30 pieces of red date. Wash and boil in water together for 30 minutes. Drink and soup and eat both celery and date

(3) For those recovering from sickness
Cut lamb into small pieces, add shelled peanut and date, cook over medium heat for 2 hours. Eat both meat and soup

(4) For those with excess brain work: poor sleep, forgiveness
Cook jujube date 4 Oz, dragon eye fruit 4 Oz , walnut 2 Oz and American ginseng slices 0.5 oz together until soft, add 2 Oz honey mix together. Cool and stored in a air tight glass jar. Enjoy 1 table spoon morning and evening.
Honey Peanut & Jujube

4 Oz Dried jujube date,
8 Oz Honey,
4 Oz raw shelled peanut
3 cups of wate
Wash jujube date and peanut thoroughly, soak in the warm water for 15 minutes
Combine 3 cups water and peanut, cook over gentle heat until peanut is soft
Add jujube dates to the cooking pot, continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until jujube dates are soft but not overcooked.
Drain the water and set the jujube date and peanut aside to cool

Add honey to the pot and cook over low heat until it becomes sticky
Add jujube dates and peanuts into honey, and mix them well.

Jujube date paste
Cook dried jujube dates for 10 minutes or until it is soft.
Make sure do not overcook the dates, which might turn sour when overcooked.
Puree the cooked dates in a food processor,
Sweeten with sugar.
Work the date into smooth paste.

It can be used as spread for the bread, filling for many other things, such as: bread, cookies, dessert and steaming bun

Snow mushroom Jujube soup
10 Jujube dates
20 Goji berries
20 peanuts or dried lotus seeds
2 large Snow Mushroom

1 cup of Medium grain rice or sweet glutinous rice
Sugar (black, brown, white or rock sugar)

Soak the snow mushroom in cold water for 4 hours
Wash the mushroom thoroughly. Break into smaller pieces and remove the hard part of the roots. Wash jujube date, Goji, and peanut/lotus seed
In a pot, combine rice with peanut/lotus seed, cook over high heat until boiling
Reduce the heat to medium heat, add snow mushroom and continue to cook
When the peanut/lotus seed is soft, add jujube date and goji berry and continue cook until they are all soft . Snow mushroom will become gel like

Cook in slow cooker: This soup can also be cooked with slow cooker. Just add all ingredients except jujube dates into the pot, Cook over high heat for 3~4 hours, or low heat for 5~6 hours until all ingredients are very soft. Add jujube and continue cook for 30 minutes before serving.

Tips: When the jujube date is overcooked, it will turn sour. So add the jujube in the last step. Usually it only requires 30 minutes’ cooking time. If you use black or brown sugar, the soup will turn dark color

The rice can be optional in this recipe. When there is no rice added, the soup is more gel like.
Eight Treasure soup
This is the traditional Chinese dessert. There are many different forms: Ba Bao Soup, Ba Bao Rice Cake, ba Bao Rice Dishes etc The ingredients are all similar: there are at least 8 different things. Sweet rice, Red beans, jujube date are the essentials. For the rest, you can add anything. Just use your imagination. Here is one example:
6 Oz Sweet rice (gluto rice)
4 oz Chinese Red bean (Or Japanese Azuki bean,. But it can be replaced with red kidney bean). Green Bean (mung bean) can also be used.
2 oz Raisin
2 Oz raw shelled peanut
2 oz Lotus seed
2 Oz pine nut (or walnut)
2 oz dried jujube date
2 oz Longan dragon eye (shelled dried whole fruit or seedless dried fruit)
4 cups of water.

Wash sweet rice and soak in water for 3 hours
Cook sweet rice, peanut and lotus seed in cold water until they are soft
Add longan dragon eye, jujube date and pine nut and continue cook until the rice become sticky
Add raisin and sugar, cook for another 15 minutes
Serve.

Tips: If you want to release the flavor of dragoneye into the soup, add it early. The fruit itself will become tasteless if cook for long. If you want to keep the sweetness in the fruit itself, add the longan fruit together with jujube.

Slow cooker version:
This soup can also be cooked in a slow cooker:
Add water, rice, peanuts and lotus seed in the slower cooker Cook in High for 3~4 hours, or in Low for 4~5 hours
Add dragon eye fruit, jujube red date and raisin and sweeten the soup 30~45 minutes before serving.

Tip: If you like thick soup, add less water. You can always start with less water and adjust the water during the cooking.

Walnut jujube date soup

This soup is great for the brain function
4 Oz medium grain rice
0.5 oz walnut
O,5 oz jujube date
Wash all three ingredients
Soak the rice for 30 minutes
Add rice and walnut with 4 cups of cold water
Cook over high heat until boiling
Add jujube date, cook over low heat for 45 minutes
Sweeten

Ginger Jujube soup

0.2 Oz Ginger slices
0.6 Oz dried jujube dates
1 oz brown sugar or black sugar

This is an excellent drink for the cold day. It is also good for the relief of Dysmenorrhea symptom in winter.

Wash date thorough,
1. Slice ginger
2. Add all three ingredients in 2 cups of water
3. Cook over high heat until boiling
4. Turn down the heat, continue cook 10 minutes
5. Drink the soup

Luo Han Guo (Momordica grosvenori) - Herb Supplement and Sugar Substitute

Luo Han Guo, the fruit of Siraitia Grosvenori, is native to southwestern China. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of lung congestion, colds, and sore throats, and gastrointestinal disorder. It is considered by the locals to be a longevity aid.

Besides its medicinal purposes, it has also been used as a sugar substitute. The unique chemical components of this sweetener in Luo Han Guo are triterpene glycosides, known as mogrosides. Mogroside is 300 times sweeter than cane sugar and is extremely low in calories. Due to its low caloric attributes, Luo han Kuo extract has been used used as a sweetener in beverages and cooked food. It is a stable, non-fermentable additive ideal for diabetics.

Luo Han Guo products are usually available as extracts and dried fruits. You may find both forms at piermall.com

Luo Han Guo Beverage @ piermall.com

This dissolving block of extract can help you feel cool and relaxing as it moistures the throat and lung, reduces the chronic cough.

Luo Han Guo Dried Fruit @ piermall.com

Below recipe was adopted from www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com. Thank you.

Ingredients:

2 Luo Hang Guo
1 cups water

Procedure

1. Clean Luo Han Guo. Crush into small pieces. Put in a teapot,add water.
2. Bring to a boil, turn to low heat, continue to cook 10mins.Turn off heat.
3. After finishing drinking, add additional water, repeat cooking 3-5 times.
Luo Han Guo Tea - Diabetes Recipes

Serving Method

Serve as tea. Serve whenever you want to drink. At least drink one cup in the morning and in the afternoon.

Beneficial Function

To moisten the lung and relieve cough. To reduce blood sugar and blood pressure. Suitable for diabetes caused by depletion-thirst in lung and stomach, especially those who have complication of hypertension.

Ban Lan Gen Cong Ji (Isatis Beverage)- Instant Herbal Tea

The Isatis plant, a source of indigo dye, originated in China and India. The Isatis Root (Ban Lang Gen), derived from the root of the isatis plant, has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. Isatis root cools the blood and treats damp-heat jaundice conditions. It is used in combination with other herbs to treat the common cold, sore throat, mumps, respiratory aliments, other febrile diseases and malignant tumors.

Isatis root became a well known household name during Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) breakout due to its supposed toxin-killing capabilities in combating the disease. Respiratory infections such as mild tonsillitis, bronchitis, and sinitis don’t stand a chance when confronted with isatis root. Containing tryptanthrim (bacteria killer), banlangen fights inflammation and reduces fever, but its effectiveness depends on timing: “The secret is to use banlangen at the first sign of a tickly throat,” says Stefan Brinkop, a Beijing-based TCM practitioner. In Traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that Ban Lang Gen acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and alleviates infections of the intestinal tract, kidney and bladder. Herbs such as Ban Lang Gen, chamomile and dandelion are well known kidney enhancers.

Ban Lang Gen (Isatis root) is available in powder/crystal form. Dried and cut isatis root is also available at many Asian supermarkets.

Depending on the condition being treated, a typical dosage of isatis root is 10-30 grams. There are no known drug interactions with isatis root. Only large dosages or long term usage can be toxic to the kidneys. Always consult with your physician before taking Ban Lang Gen (Isatis root) or any other herbal supplement.

Find the on piermall.com

PierMall.com First Thanksgiving Sale!

Thank you everyone for your continious support. PierMall will not be able to do well today without all our wonderful customers. As our thanks to you, hundreds of PierMall products are all on sale from 11/26~12/02.

Come visit us today for PierMall.com’s first Thanksgiving sale!

Korean Seaweed Snack vs Japanese Seaweed Snack

Today, I encountered an inquiry from one of our customers. He bought a bag of Japanese seaweed snack

.

and a bag of Korean Seaweed snack

Both are great stuffs…. for us. However, it doesn’t seem so for this customer, who was new to the seaweed. After devouring the super crispy Korean seaweed, he found the taste of Japanese seaweed is quite dull and thought it was stale.

The truth is, the Japanese seaweed snack is just as fresh as the Korean seaweed snack. The difference in the taste was due to how the seaweed snack was made by Korean or Japanese.

Korean style seaweed snack are usually seasoned and roasted in sesame oil (most of the time). You can do one experiment. Use a fine tissue, or simply use your finger to rub the Korean seaweed gently, you will see/feel the oil on the tissue or your finger.

Because the Korean seaweed has been roasted in oil, it is very crispy and it stays that way very long. Japanese seaweed, on the other hand, is not added with any oil. They are simply seasoned and dried roasted, just like the seaweed nori used for sushi making. The Japanese seaweed snack is not very crispy. It gains some degree of crispy from being very dried, but you will never have a Japanese seaweed snack or nori sheet as crispy as Korean ones.

Because it is not oiled, many new comers to seaweed snacks might find the Korean seaweed is more attractive than the Japanese one.

Nevertheless, after enjoying the Korean seaweed for a while, you might find the mild, “plainer” Japanese seaweed to be just as enjoyable. You can use it to roll the rice, meat, sprinkle over the noodle, soup or eat out of packets. Many many ways to enjoy. At 4 calories per 12 strips, you don’t have to worry too much on how much calories you are taking in.

Just like Fried Chicken, it tastes great, but one day you might find a grilled Chicken to be just as tasty as the fried one……..

We love all different kinds of seaweed snack. PierMall.com carries

4 different seaweed snacks:

Korean Seaweed - Low salt - 3 bags

Korean Seaweed Snack - Green Tea

Original Korean Seaweed - 1 case

Japanese seaweed snack (light spicy)- Value pack available

PierMall.com also carry many different seaweed nori for sushi:

50 sheets seaweed nori +1 Sushi Mat (product of China)	Seaweed Nori for Sushi (China)
Seaweed Nori for Sushi (Japan)

There are many types available, available in single bag or value pack. Search for “Seaweed”

A good place to stock up Halloween candies

Free shipping at $25, these popular candies have a very good price! Close to the price offered in warehouse club.. Plus, you have something quite unique and scary enough to get some “wow”.

Nestle Halloween Assorted - Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch Chocolate, 56-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)	Wonka Mix-ups, Halloween, 64-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)	Wonka Mix-ups, Halloween, 64-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)
Nestle Classic Scream Halloween, 32-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)	Nestle Classic Scream Halloween, 32-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)	Wonka Mix-ups Monster, Halloween, 18.7-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)
Nestle Butterfinger, Halloween, Fun Size Bigger Bag, 24-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)	Nestle Halloween Assorted, Fun Size Bigger Bag, 21-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)	Wonka Nerds, Spooky Halloween, 18.7-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)

Halloween is Coming…

The Jelly Belly Boo Box

Sounds like a good item for the office or home party. Here is the description of the item:

This charming little haunted house is decorated with smiling jack-o’-lanterns and a ghost on the outside, but the best part is what’s inside! Take the roof off and you’ll find some scary-sweet Jelly Belly treats! Here’s what you’ll get:

* One 9 oz. bag Deluxe Halloween Mix
* One 8.5 oz. bag Sour Gummi Pumpkins
* One Gummi Pet Rat (random flavor)
* One Gummi Pet Tarantula (random flavor)
* One 3.5. oz Beananza bag 20 Assorted Flavor jelly belly
* Two 1 oz. bags Candy Corn

Net weight 28 oz.

Remember the jelly flop? The interesting imperfect little Jelly Fellows. If you are patient enough, you can now get a much better bargain: Buy 2 bags and get 1 free. Use code: HALLOWEE at the check out!