Goji berries
Goji berries are the small red fruit Chinese cooks drop into soup, congee and thermos flasks.
Rinse, steep, stir in
Rinse them
Dried goji passes through many hands, so give it a quick rinse. Do not soak it long or the sweetness goes.
Fill a thermos
Add a spoonful to a thermos of hot water, with red dates or chrysanthemum if you like. Eat the plump berries at the end.
Add them last
Stir them into soup or congee for the final few minutes. They stay plump and sweet instead of going mushy.
Middle age in China: goji berries in a thermos.
What to look for
Goji is a traditional food, not a proven treatment. It can interact with warfarin and similar blood thinners, and possibly diabetes or blood pressure drugs. Ask your doctor. People with nightshade allergies should take care.
Goji berries
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What are goji berries good for?
In Chinese tradition, goji is a gentle tonic food, added to soup and tea. Today it is also eaten as a dried fruit. It is not proven to treat or prevent any disease.
Can you eat dried goji berries without soaking?
Yes. Many people eat a small handful straight from the bag after a quick rinse. Soaking simply makes them softer and easier to chew.
Do goji berries interact with medications?
Yes, they can. The best-known case is warfarin, where reports link goji to stronger blood-thinning effects. If you take a prescription drug, ask your doctor before making goji a daily habit.
