Wolfberry is one of the English common names given to fruit produced by two very
closely related species: Lycium barbarum and Lycium chinense. Quite notably,
these two species also share a common plant name in Pinyin (the most common
variant of standard Mandarin Chinese) and that word is gouqi or goji, the name by which
the berry is commonly marketed in the United States.
In China, it is said that eating goji berry in the morning will ensure
that there will be many smiles throughout the day. For this reason, goji
is commonly referred to as happy berry in China. It is also thought
that regular consumption of the fruit leads to long life. In part, this
legend is associated with the exceptionally long life of Li Qing Yuen, a
Chinese herbalist who reputedly lived to the ripe old age of 256.
However dubious this claim of longevity, there is little doubt about the nutritional value of goji berries. In
terms of Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) value, the standard
measure of antioxidant value of foods, goji provides many times more
antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables, including
blueberries and spinach. In addition, goji berries pack 22 trace
minerals and nearly a dozen essential fatty acids.
Goji berry is very nutrient rich with antioxidant properties essential fatty acids
that are generally rare in fruits. Though having been considered in Asia to be
one of the most nutrient-rich foods for quite some time,
they have more recently been exalted in international commerce to the category of a superfood.
Like chia seed another superfood, goji berries may be
soaked overnight and blended with additional water to avail a juice.
As a food, dried goji berries are traditionally cooked with or before being
added to rice and multi-ingredient dishes.
