William , Those roots are suspicious . While I can not say 100% they are not ginseng I have never ginseng like that . Even the pieces of
root I recieved as scrap from a grower last week do not resemble those . Ginseng does not taste nasty . It is very earthy , reminiscent of dried porcini
mushrooms . I like to take a piece of root and keep it in my cheek all day . I also like to eat the pulp off the fresh seed before planting it . Very tasty .