Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation of wild American ginseng and propagation of cultivated American ginseng in Wisconsin and across the United States. As part of this shared cultural history that spans over 300 years since the discovery of Panax quinquefolius L. in North America, we’re proud to support programs such as the Smithsonian Institution’s Folklife Festival. Due to the widespread impact of COVID-19, this year’s festival has been postponed, however, celebrations of our heritage and stories about the lives of those working in the ginseng industry continue.
We hope that you take the time to tune in on Thursday, May 14 at Noon EDT/11 AM CDT via Facebook Liveto hear the stories of three pioneering women working with ginseng: Susan Leopold of the United Plant Savers; Anna Plattner from the American Ginseng Pharm, and Anna Lucio, the wild ginseng coordinator for the State of Kentucky’s Dept. of Agriculture. They will be talking about their own roles in ginseng conservation, how they all came to be passionate about saving the plant for the future, and their opinions on the impact of COVID-19 on the world of ginseng. You and others joining live will be able to comment, react, and ask questions via the chat function.
**ACCESSIBILITY**
Real-time captioning will be available for this presentation, available at this link: http://bitly.com/folklifeCART. We recommend opening it in a separate browser window or on a separate device.
Some of our staff attended the largest natural ingredient and product expo in the world last weekend, called Expo West. Most of the Hsu’s staff in attendance were at the expo for the first time.
First, the basics:
Who:Hsu’s Ginseng Staff (5) – 3 from Wausau, and 2 from Los Angeles
In featured Staff Photo: (Left to Right) Richard Lin, Tony Guo, Hannah Feng, Ben Heindel and Mike Klemp-North
What: Natural Products Expo West 2018 – the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event
Where: Anaheim Convention Center – Anaheim, CA
When: March 8-11th, 2018
Quick Stats:
Attendees:85,000+
Exhibitors: 3,521
First-time Exhibitors: 600+
Why does one go to something like this?
We literally saw all walks of life at this event during our time there. This event really does serve as a one-stop-shop for anything related to natural products: product or package innovation, capital funding, ingredients, machinery, labeling, and regulatory standards.
“The show provides a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow retailers, discover great new products, build upon existing relationships, and participate in programming that always helps deepen my understanding of some of the most significant issues facing our industry. I always return home with tons of ideas about how to grow my business and improve my product mix”.
Our Experience as first timers:
Overwhelming … in a good way.
First: the sights, sounds, and smells coming from the endless rows of the 3,500 exhibitors were akin to an open-air market or bazaar for those who have traveled internationally – business owners offering samples, and booths offering unique experiences.
The video provided by NewHopeNetwork explains it best:
Second: the diversity of people and products:
The world is big. Like, really big. However, at times, it can feel very small. No more than a few hours after set up, we were getting fist bumps and comments like: “On Wisconsin!”, “Go Pack Go”, and “I grew up there!”. Our first experience with this was meeting someone from Merrill, WI. A few exchanges of something similar to “Oh Jeeze, yer from Wiscaaaaansin!” made us feel right at home.
There were also lots of different products. Products varied in style and type. A few examples include: ginger shots, plant protein mixes, natural BBQ sauce, dragon fruit powder, cold brew coffee, fig supersnacks, coconut oil, probiotic smoothies, matcha tea’s, nitro tea’s, reshi mushrooms, organic ice cream, veggie burgers, vegan pizza, and countless gluten free products.
A few of the more unique ones spotted included: ghee butter, plant based protein sticks, lentil crackers, and… crickets.
The show was more than food, as it also included natural products from the beauty and household industries. Lip balm, makeup, laundry detergent, and tooth paste were all notable products represented as well.
All of these were available to try and sample. Some were great! Others were… ‘unique’.
We came. We Saw…. We Learned?
While we represented Hsu’s and generated business opportunities of our own, we also had huge takeaways in things that cannot be measured on paper.
We educated people on American Ginseng, our industry, and our company.
We also saw how people interacted with our brand.
By the 3rd day, hearing stories of “I used to work with Paul Hsu back in the day” were very common.
Now what?
We saw countless innovations in the industry applied to various products that may be worth some research and development to apply into our own American Ginseng.
We also saw product packaging in quick-serve formats and re-sealable bag technologies that made us stop for a second look as well.
All of this, out of respect to giving the best possible American Ginseng product, in the most innovative format possible, to our current and future customers.
Written By: Ben Heindel – Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises
DID YOU KNOW…. Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises Inc does more than just cultivate American Ginseng?
Although Ginseng is what we were founded on, we are much more than that.
In addition to growing ginseng in the mid-1970’s, Paul Hsu also saw opportunity to develop a mail-order business that would cater to the needs of Chinese-American immigrants coming from overseas to the United States. He would provide an opportunity for customers to purchase products that they familiar with from back home, but were virtually inaccessible in the United States during that time.
Hsu Ginseng Catalog – Currently over 100 pages, and includes hundreds of products!
Over the years, the mail order business developed into a sizable catalog with a wide diversity of products offered. The digital era only helped the catalog business as customers could access the product lineup and purchase products they saw in the catalog online.
Today, a majority of our business is still Ginseng. However, we are continuously finding new and exciting ways to give customers a great American Ginseng product in different formats:
Our ginseng products include: dried roots, tea’s, slices, capsules, powders, and… with the help of strong partnerships, we even have ginseng in candy and a variety of alcohol types.
American Ginseng Tea, Capsules, and Candy
Our other notable product categories include:
Supplements
From Fish Oil to Protein Powder, we carry a wide range of supplements that focus on a few areas of men’s, women’s, and kid’s health.
Alaska Fish Oil
Pro-Tan Protein Powder
Skin Care
We’ve added a number of brands to our skin-care lineup over the years to include: facial care, body care, eye care, foot care, and hair care.
Biore Clean and Soft Body Wash Camellia
Seafood and Herbs
The most fascinating products come from this category due to the extent of strong partnerships we maintain with our suppliers, as well as the importance they hold in nutritional value and diet. Products include: dried seaweed, sea cucumbers, dried alligator (yes!), dried yellow conch meat, elk horn, Chinese herbs, abalone and scallops
Hokkaido Dried Seaweed
Japanese Dried Scallops Medium
Appliances
Due to the variety and styles of food offered, we also carry an assortment of products to help our customers cook them all.
We carry appliances that include: steamers, stew pots, rice cookers, as well as lunch jars to keep meals warm.
Tatung TAC-6G(SF) Stainless Rice Cooker
Food and Beverage
This category offers a unique range of products familiar to Chinese cuisine and diet.
Tea’s and Smoothie Mixes dominate this category, but we also carry food seasonings, snacks, and even a few Wisconsin Specialties like maple syrup and creamed honey.
Although these products may be sourced from many locations, they are shipped all from Hsu Ginseng Enterprises Inc, in Wausau, WI.
美國威斯康辛州參議院於2017年11/30日通過法令，將美國花旗參正式列為能代表威斯康辛州的”中草藥”( Official state herb of Wisconsin)。威州248法案目前已由參議員傑瑞(Sen. Jerry Petrowski)審核通過(Senate Bill 248)，未來可望能將花旗參正式列為在醫療上具有治療功效的中藥材。
參議員約翰(John Spiros)提到，把花旗參列為威斯康辛州的正式草藥，未來可讓大眾認知到花旗參的功能和使用方式，這將會是一件很棒的事情。此法案(Assembly Bill 314)目前已被威州參議院和威州州長沃克(Scott Walker)簽署通過。人稱「花旗參教父」的許氏參業集團團董事長許忠政和許氏參業集團副總裁許恩偉也受邀參訪簽屬會議。
The 1st annual International Wisconsin Ginseng Festival rolled through Wausau, WI and the surrounding area just one month ago, but we are still amazed at how it impacted our area and the industry. Here are the 10 things we learned after the event:
Dragon Dance team entertaining guests on Saturday afternoon
With the International Wisconsin Ginseng Festival quickly approaching, local ginseng companies in Marathon County are gearing up for a weekend of celebrating the historic plant that heavily contributes to Wisconsin’s economy and export market. That means we should be seeing some interesting creations as growers are pairing up with other local venues. Some rumors indulge the idea of a vodka fused with ginseng, others have ice cream with ginseng, but we can assert that one of those rumors to be true right now — ginseng and beer.
The International Wisconsin Ginseng Festival (IWGF) is the first event of its kind and will attract thousands of visitors from around the world. Hotels and travel accommodations are filling fast.
Marathon County, the largest county in Wisconsin, is home to nearly 150 ginseng growers raising about 700,000 pounds of ginseng every year in an area that comprises a microcosm of the county’s available land. Almost 80% of that annual crop will jump ship to China. But then where does the other 20% go?
Hsu's Ginseng Enterprise Inc 