The regional specialty of Ganghwa-Island (Ganghwado 강화도), South Korea

Ganghwado is located in west of Seoul, connected with two bridge which means it is not island like their name any more.

The Ginseng (Insam 인삼)

Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) has been used widely for folk medicine for over 2000 years. Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China regarded it as medicine of eternal youth. And also to the western general public it was called as “Treasure from the Orient”. The name of Ginseng ( Insam ; 인삼) is derived from the shape resembling the legs of a person. It grows especially in cold climate zone, North America, Eastern Asia (Korea, China,Bhutan, eastern Siberia). Full-scale cultivation of Ganghwado area has been started 1953 after Korean-war(1950-1953) by whom refugees from Gaeseong (North Korea, Traditional area of ginseng from Goryeo dynasty). It’s market sails amount is up to nearly $ 2.1 billion, 35 countries, of which half is Korean Ginseng. The China is the biggest consumer.

6-years-grown Red ginseng is the most loved one among the other kinds of it (classified by the treatment; fresh ginseng, red ginseng, white ginseng). People take it as the type of oriental medicine, energy drinks, herbal teas, and so on. It boosts immune system, provides energy, improves concentrating & learning, prevents fatigue, contains phytoestrogen, and has some effect to a men erectile dysfunction. It causes often side effects despite of their well-known qualities according to human constitution. So you need some cautions, especially to the person becoming hot temperature easily.

The Hwamunseok(화문석)

The name has the meaning of mat decorated with flowers.This is the rush-weaving handicraft and the cultural legacy inherited from ancient Goryeo dynasty (AD918-1392) exclusively.The tall flat white sedge, material used for this mat, grows only in this island in the past.The mat can be possible to keep the body cool in summer and against chill of weather in winter. It is glassy, unbroken, and durable. People placed a piece of mat in the living room for their naive, exquisite, elegance design and air-cooling in summer. It took 7 days with 2-3 persons at least to make it due to intricate patter (size 2 M x 3 M). So price is some high also.There were so many houses to make this mat 30 years ago. But now 10 houses barely keep itself in existence because this kind of mat was imported at a low price from the south east asia since 1990s'. Cheap products made in China and Vietnam, westernization of life style (sitting>standing), lack of rural resource caused rapid decrease of this industry.

The handy craft made from white sedge 

The Soonmu(a kind of turnip 순무)
This is a turnip grows in Ganghwado only, deep-purple skin, white inside. Korean soonmu is white originally.In 1893, W.H.Callwell, a military instructor of navy from England, brought their native turnip and cultivated at first. As times go by it mixed with origin Korean one. It’s harder than as usual one and has mustard-like aroma. It is good for helping digest, diminishing hang-over, combating liver illness, and brightening of ear and eye. People use to make kkadugi (깍두기; sliced radish Kimchi) in general only.  The recipe about this radish is not quiet well to the public. This can be preserve up to 2 years, but it doesn’t popular due to high price because of the low production rate per unit.