Brown color intensity has been a major factor to estimate the quality of red ginseng and its products. This study deals with the relationship between the browning reaction of ginseng root and two compounds, arginyl-fructosyl-glucose(Arg-fru-glc) and arginyl-fructose (Arg-fru), in the model system of steaming and heat-drying processes for the preparation of red ginseng. During the steaming process, a marked decrease of starch and a considerable formation of maltose occurred in main roots of raw ginseng, but the formation of glucose was scarcely observed. After the heat-drying process, the brown color intensity of the powdered preparation of steamed main roots was 3 to 4 times higher than that of the powdered preparation of raw main roots. Also, when the heat- drying process was done with the addition of L-arginine, brown color intensity of the powdered preparation of steamed main roots was 12 to 13 times higher than that of the powdered preparation of raw main roots. The amount ratios of browning reaction products formed from sugar compounds and amino acids in the model system of steaming and heat-drying treatments in vitro were in order of xylose > glucose > fructose > maltose > dextrin (DE 9) > sucrose > dextrin (DE 8) and soluble starch. Each solution of Arg-fru-glc and Arg-fru that were synthesized chemically from maltose plus L-arginine and glucose plus L-arginine, respectively, changed from colorless to brown color during the heat-drying treatment. Amino acids or sugars were effective on the acceleration of each browning reaction of Arg-fru-gIc and Arg-fru during the heat-drying treatment.