Abstract: A process for producing a snack product with an expanded coating comprising a core material selected from the group consisting of nuts, beans, seeds, expanded starchy materials coated with fatty confectionary material and shaped fatty confectionary material. While being tumbled, the core material is given a first coating by alternately sprinkling or spraying a 60:40 to 30:70 mixture by weight of a starchy flour that has small expandability but provides good savor and a highly expandable pregelatinized starchy flour and an aqueous sugar solution comprising corn syrup or a mixture of 1 part by weight of corn syrup and not more than 2 parts by weight of sucrose that is dissolved in water to give a refractive Brix value between 30 and 40.

Abstract: A dried ginseng is obtained by heating a crude or raw ginseng to soften its tissue, freezing the softened ginseng in an inert gas under pressure and then lyophilizing the frozen ginseng under reduced pressure in a conventional way. This dried ginseng retains its original miscellaneous shape and color tone inherent to the crude ginseng, is ready for extraction of the pharmacologically active ingredients therefrom when dipped in aqueous ethanol for preparation of medicinal spirit beverage and can stand long storage without spoilage by bacterial and fungal infestation.