Goji berries, also known as lycium berries, are a small, orange-red superfruit packed with nutrients and antioxidants. They are used in culinary dishes and sold as supplements or juice. The berries are native to China and are harvested in various regions, with an annual festival held in Ningxia.
China is home to a large number of juicy fruits and berries. Lycium berries, better known as goji berries, are a good example. These bright orange-red berries are a popular item on the health food market.
Goji berries are small, only two-fifths to four-fifths of an inch (one to two centimeters) in circumference. The small yellow seeds found in each berry vary in number. A berry can contain up to 60 seeds, although some can have as few as 10. Considered a superfruit, the lycium berry is packed with various nutrients and antioxidants. It is typically sold as a dried fruit, supplement, or juice.
In culinary uses, dried lycium berries are used in everything from soups to herbal teas to wines. The fruits are more popular as an herbal remedy, largely due to their nutrient and antioxidant content. Amino acids, calcium, beta-carotene, potassium, iron, zinc, and over a dozen other trace minerals can be found within each berry. Fruits have been linked to the prevention or alleviation of various types of cancer, diabetes, bacteria, fungi, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and many other health problems.
Lycium berries are also known as wolfberries, mede berries, bocksdorn, red medlar, Murali, barbary matrimony vine, Chinese wolfberries, and Duke of Argyll’s tea tree. When eaten, lycium berries can be soft and chewy, similar to raisins. Some species of the fruit may have a hard texture.
When sold for health supplements, they are often called Himalayan goji and Tibetan goji. In addition to Asia, lycium berries are also native to parts of Europe. In Asia, the berries are known as “red diamonds” as they are a particularly lucrative crop. Most goji berry plants are harvested from plantations in north-central China, in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, or in western China, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The plant is also cultivated in other Chinese regions, such as Gansu, Mongolia, Shaanxi, Qinghai, and Hebei.
Deciduous lycium plants are perennial. They can grow from three to 10 feet (one to three meters) tall. Lycium flowers are arranged in five petals, while the plant’s oval leaves are arranged in clusters of three or fewer. Lycium plants flower in the summer, leaving ripe berries for picking in the fall. The young berries are shaken from the vine or gently picked before being preserved and dehydrated before sale.
In Ningxia, an annual wolfberry festival is held every August. It usually takes place during the berry harvest. In addition to celebrating the abundant nutrients, source of income, and medicinal uses of the berries, locals also appreciate the plants’ use in erosion control during the festival.
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