A Global History Of Ginseng: Imperialism, Modernity And Orientalism - 9781032261423

Sul's history of the international ginseng trade reveals the cultural aspects of international capitalism and the impact of this single commodity on relations between East and West. Ginseng emerged as a major international commodity in the seventeenth century, when the East India Company began trading it westward. Europeans were drawn to the plant's efficacy as a medicine, but their attempts to transplant it mass produce it or extract its active ingredients were unsuccessful and so it was disparaged in the process of modernization. In the meantime ginseng was discovered on the American continent and became one of the United States's key exports to Asia and particularly China, but never cultivated a significant domestic market. As such, studying the ginseng trade provides a unique perspective both on the impact of culture, as well as economics, on international trade. A compelling interdisciplinary history over five centuries of east-west trade and cultural exchange, invaluable to students and scholars of transnational history, and a fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of international trade.

• | Author: HEASIM. SUL
• | Publisher: Routledge
• | Publication Date: Jul 08, 2022
• | Number of Pages: 258 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover
• | ISBN-10: 1032261420
• | ISBN-13: 9781032261423