By Julie Ingwersen

WAUSAU, Wisconsin (Reuters) -The cool woodlands of central Wisconsin boast soils packed with Ice Age mineral deposits that make the area perfect for the cultivation of ginseng, a medicinal root that has been exported to Asia for more than 300 years.

Sliced and used in tea or ground into capsules, ginseng root is touted as an energy- and immunity-booster that can also reduce stress and improve memory. The bulk of the harvest is dried and shipped to China.

Nearly all U.S. ginseng is produced in Marathon County, Wisconsin, where growers say the soil and climate produce top-quality roots with a distinct flavor, just as the “terroir” of specific wine regions affects the taste of grapes. Central Wisconsin, known as the “Napa Valley of American ginseng,” produces crops that

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