Sometimes They Buy Thirty Boxes, and the Whole Suitcase Is Ginseng

Who buys American ginseng in Montreal's Chinatown, and where does it end up? We asked one of the women who works the counter at Fosetter. Her answer involved a suitcase with no clothes in it.

A whole suitcase of ginseng

"Most of our customers are Chinese," she says. "What they buy most is to take back home as gifts, for their families."

"These days, since you only get one suitcase, they don't bring any clothes at all. Sometimes they buy thirty boxes, and the whole case is just this."

"And they don't have to worry about not being able to take it. We have the permit." Fosetter holds its own CITES export permit, which Canada requires to take ginseng roots out of the country. You can read how that works in where our American ginseng is grown, and the permit behind it, or on our page about travelling with ginseng.

Orders from Mom and Dad

Then there are the international students. "Their parents give the order," she says, "and they come in to buy what their parents told them to. They're just following orders. Whatever their parents tell them to buy, that's what they buy."

A northerner's confession

She also has a confession about herself. "I'm from the north. I used to think American ginseng was something southern people ate. Northerners didn't really know about it." Since the pandemic, she says, a lot of northerners have come to know it too. Many people used to assume it was only for older folks.

Thirty boxes or one

Whether you are filling a suitcase or picking up a single gift box, you can browse our NATIVE ULTRA Canadian ginseng online or come by 78 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest. Ask at the counter about the export permit before you fly.