Hamcho in Japan

In japan, hamcho grows at Hokkaido regions but could have not been commercialized as it is designated as a natural monument. However, the research on hamcho has been sustained so far. In the 2000s, more studies have been conducted. There are 3-4 firms in Japan importing hamcho from Korea and manufacturing granule and tablet products, but the market is not that significant.
Dasarang Co., Ltd has accompanied with MBC TV Special Documentary team (hamcho , the wild ginseng from mudflat) to Hokkaid in order to guide the hamcho habitats. Also, Dasarang has conducted a market investigation and academic research. Dasarang is exporting hamcho to Tokyo Fukuoka since 2014.

After the visit of Japanese Emperor to hamcho habitat in Hokkaido, Japanese hamcho became famous. Dr. Katsyoshi Shimizu from the University of Tsukuba and Mr. Ito from Incurable Disease Research Institute have won the prize at the Japanese Agricultural Society based on the study of 13 different effects of hamcho.
In 1997, {the research: effect of salt construction on the plat body and the seed of hamcho} shows that when it is raised in the salt water, more than a half of hamcho weight was composed of minerals and the seed oils increased dramatically.
Dr. Shimizu team has conducted research of hamchos salt resistance in 1990 and research of dimorphism of hamcho seeds, and research of crude protein and sugar-betaine contents under the salt water cultivation in 2003.
In case of analysis of hamcho contents, Ishikawa and others (2002) reported the changes in nutritional facts by growth process of S. heracea. Imai and others (2004) reported sugar-lipid chemical characteristics of S. Europa. In 1983, the report tells that two different types of natural material, chromone exists.

Hamcho in France

In French, hamcho refers to the name of Salicornia herbacea L (which is its scientific name).
Hamcho (Salicornia herbacea L.) has been used for pickles in the south and the west-north of sea shores. It has been used for spices and materials for baking as well. It has been widely used for products as vinegar and liquor. Thought, the most famous way to consume hamcho is for cooking.

Followed by Japanese market investigation, Dasarang has conducted another French market investigation in 2004. Then, Dasarang has provided hamcho information in France to MBC documentary team. In 2013, they visited Guerande region and Chaumes Bay in the northwest region in order to observe ecology of hamcho and hamcho markets, and a French buyer also visited Dasarang Co., Ltd. in 2014.
French Hamcho is produced mainly in Guerande region and Chaumes Bay. They are sold to the big cities in France and exported to Spain, Germany and other European countries. In general, French hamcho is used as food materials so the research and development business is not that significance, but hamcho festival is held annually, promoting the hamcho production.

Hamcho in China

In history, it is recorded that Hamcho has been offered to Chinese Zhou Dynasty about 3000 years ago by Japanese. At the time, the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty was really happy about the tribute, and dedicated it to the ancestors’ graves.

Initially, in the Eastern Coast of China, hamcho stems have been used to make plywood (patent registered). Then, after knowing that hamcho is used as edible productin Korea, about 10 firms are involved in hamcho business.
Dasarang has investigated Chinese hamcho market in 2013 in order to get into Chinese Market. At the time, it was figured out that linoleic acid extracting and hamcho oil extracting techniques are patented. As well, due to the pollution issues in the Eastern Coast, which is the main habitat for hamcho, most of hamcho supplier was the North Korea. There are about 2-3 types of hamcho products such as granule and extracts. Due to the low awareness in the market, the demand is not quite high.
So far, Dasarang Co., Ltd., has been participating more than 10 exhibitions held in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong and also has conducted hamcho presentation in Beijing in 2014. Gradually, Dasarang is planning to invigorate hamcho exporting business in China.

Hamcho in the U.S.

Hamcho is called GLASSWORT in the U.S.
Its name is originated from the process of making glass by burning hamcho long time ago. The Professor C. Hodges, who is leading the Seawater Agriculture Foundation, is studying hamcho actively. Also, Washington University has conducted a research on mold in hamcho. (agreement on co-research for 2 years in 2006)
Professor Rusty’s team (Department of Biology in Washington University) has constantly announced the result saying that mold and host plant develop together and evolve eventually to generate environment-tolerance. In 2002, they reported to the journal “Science” about ‘endomycorrhiza’ separated from the grassland in Yellowstone National Park, which survives the extreme geothermal heat (Redman et al. 2002). After that, they also reported about the discovery of dominant endomycorrhiza found in seashore plants, which has salt resistance.(Rodriguez et al. 2008)(Figure. 1).

hamcho in other countries

In Canadian ethnobotany studies, Mudie has reported that lots of hamcho pollen and seeds are found in the stomach of a frozen fossil human and also reported that Canadian natives actually used hamcho as food and medicine long time ago (2005).
In Egypt, hamcho seeds oil has been under research: Halophyte sos-7 is the new oil crop to supplement increasing demand for vegetable oil; sos-7 survives in infertile land and even in the sea water; by the experiment using 290 and 325NM by HPLS, nucleic acid, chloroform, ethanol, methanol, water, and tocopherol have been found in the hamcho seeds oil; in Halophtyte oil, 710 p.p.m of tocopherol is contained, and this tocopherol is composed of alpha 38.2%, beta 1%, gamma 58%, and delta 2.1% and 9 types of flavonoid mixture are separated.
In addition, utilization rate of hamcho is very high in the Netherlands, so that it is even sold in the retail stores, and it is known that high-ranking officials in the North Korea is taking hamcho.