| For centuries on end, herbalists in Tibet and | | | | |
| Mongolia have recommended small red berries | | | | Goji berries grow on small green-leafed vines |
| called 'Goji' as a remedy for those suffering | | | | that yield a bright red fruit with a shape |
| from a variety of problems. In fact, the | | | | most resembling a raisin. The berries are |
| people of Tibet and Mongolia hold a two-week | | | | extremely delicate, and during harvest, they |
| annual festival in honor of the goji berry. | | | | are shaken from the vine rather than being |
| Many of them have nicknamed the goji berry | | | | picked. To avoid spoiling, they are slowly |
| "happy berry" because in common folklore "to | | | | dried in the shade. The texture of a goji |
| eat goji in the morning will lead to smiles | | | | berry is very chewy, and its taste is often |
| all day". | | | | described as a cross between a raisin and a |
| | | | cranberry. Several additional names are used |
| But respect for the goji berry isn't confined | | | | to describe the goji berry, such as happy |
| to the foothills of Tibet and Mongolia. The | | | | berry, gouqi, and gou qi zi. |
| goji berry has been used for hundreds of | | | | |
| years as a tonic in Chinese medicine. During | | | | What makes the goji berry so potent? |
| the Tang dynasty (A.D. 772-842), poet Liu | | | | |
| Yuxi wrote a poem celebrating the nourishment | | | | Goji berries are believed to be a rich source |
| of "body and spirit" brought about by the | | | | of vitamins and nutrients with each goji |
| goji berry. Without a doubt, the people of | | | | berry purported to contain 18 different amino |
| this region of the world love the goji berry. | | | | acids and vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and E. It |
| But the goji berry's introduction to the | | | | is believed that goji berries contain more |
| Western world is still fairly recent, so the | | | | beta carotene than is found in carrots of |
| berry remains a relatively unknown fruit for | | | | equal size. And the goji berry is touted as |
| a large fraction of the world's population. | | | | one of the richest sources of vitamin C in |
| So what is a goji berry? And why is it so | | | | the world, trailing only the Australian |
| loved? | | | | billygoat plum and the South American camu |
| | | | camu. Goji berries are also believed to |
| What is a goji berry? | | | | contain zinc, iron, calcium, phosphorus, |
| | | | selenium, and germanium in varying |
| The term goji berry technically refers to the | | | | quantities. As a rich source of many of the |
| Tibetan goji berry, also known as Lycium | | | | vitamins and minerals essential to nutrition, |
| Barbarum (its Latin name). It is a member of | | | | goji berries are filled with antioxidants. |
| a family of flowering plants known as the | | | | |
| Solanaceae, a plant family which also | | | | The unique properties endemic to the Tibetan |
| includes within its ranks potatoes, tobacco, | | | | goji berry make it one of the more |
| and tomatoes. Roughly eighty different | | | | fascinating fruits on Earth. As consumption |
| varieties of lycium berry exist, including | | | | of the goji berry grows in popularity in |
| the Chinese Wolfberry (often touted by | | | | other parts of the world, our knowledge of |
| Chinese healers as a cure for male sexual | | | | the plant itself is certain to increase. |
| dysfunction). However, the Chinese Wolfberry | | | | Until then, do yourself a favor and enjoy a |
| is only considered a genetic cousin of Lycium | | | | delicious goji berry! |
| Barbarum and not a true goji berry. | | | | |