Wild ginseng is called sansam, or “mountain ginseng” and is supposed to be good for ailments which regular medicines are ineffective and has similar uses as regular ginseng only that is is far more effective.

Mountain ginseng is considered one of the finest of medicines, good for almost all sicknesses, so there are people who make a living by gathering it in the mountains. People who make their livelihood finding sansam are called simmani.

Since sansam is rare, it is especially hard to find. Before they head into a mountain area, simmani hold scared rituals honoring mountain gods, and when they used to discover that mountain ginseng they would cry “심봤다” (simbwatda) to tell their fellow simmani, who would gather and lie prostrate until all the sansam that had just been discovered was unearthed. Then they would give thanks to the mountain gods.

These days people use the saying simbwatda metaphorically, when they come across something as rare and precious as mountain ginseng.

Source From: Arirang