i recently purchased some 2oz of whole ginseng root at the grocery store for 4 dollars, it was labelled as american ginseng, but then i read this write up on fake american ginseng


http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/packages/ccic/org/csst/csst94.016.html


"========================<<<<< Information Sharing >>>>>===================== How to Tell Real American Ginseng From Fake ............................. 43 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- By CHEN Muailin 1. The Matter of Fake American Ginseng The flooding of fake American ginseng can be called the "CANCER" of today's ginseng market. Most fake American ginseng comes from Asia. Some ginseng dealers import low quality Asian ginseng, Dang3 Shen1, and other plants at the cost of $2-5/pound, then raise the price by ten times and sell them as American ginseng. On 16 Aug, hundreds of ginseng farmers from Wisconsin (90% of American ginseng is produced by Wisconsin farmers) hold a rally in Chicago's China Town to protest against the flooding of Asian imports labeled as American ginseng. In China, fake American ginseng has also brought big troubles to customers. A market examination in Shanghai discovered that 40% of American ginseng and side products in Sh market are fakes. 2. How to Tell Real from Fake American Ginseng 1) Color: The skin of real American ginseng is usually in the color of golden yellow. Underneath the skin, the RmeatS part is gray white. The fake ginseng looks pale on the outside and stark white on the inside. 2) Wrinkle: Real American ginseng usually has tiny horizontal wrinkles, while fake ginseng has more and wide vertical wrinkles. 3) Smell: Real American ginseng has a pleasant, and sweet smell of delicate fragrance; whereas the fake ginseng has a very faint scent, often reminiscent of herbal medicine. 4) Weight: Real American ginseng is relatively heavier with multiple fabrics than fake ginseng. American ginseng melts in the mouth only after long, repeated chewing, while fake ginseng is more easily meltable in the mouth. 3. PRACTICAL methods to Improve Your Chance. 1) Price: the cost of one pound processed mid-size American ginseng should be around $60. The cheap "bargains" (usually marked $40 some /lb) are no doubt fakes. 2) Mark: Examining the package carefully to see if there are mark, address and phone number of company on the box. If there is no such information except "American ginseng", you's better to think it over. 3) Question: Before purchasing, ask sells person that if they will take full responsibility in case the products was approved fake by an authorized institution. Any hesitation or ambiguity in the answer of that question hint the problem of reliability. (For more information or catalog, contact WISCHINA GINSENG CO. at: zuo@cae.wisc.edu; 608-238-7175 (phone) or 608-233-9590 (fax); WI"

is this true?if so are there any other ways to tell american from asian ginseng ,besides what is mentioned here.