Nourishing your Yin with Goji Wolfberry

Goji Wolfberry: one of nature's most nutrient-rich natural foods

Wolfberry is also another name for the western snowberry

(Chinese: 枸杞), Renowned in Asia as one of nature's most nutrient-rich natural foods, wolfberries have been associated in traditional chinese medicine as long as recorded Chinese history.

The Chinese revere wolfberry as a national treasure among the most nutrient dense of the nation’s medicinal herbs. Ancient people used wolfberry fruit to make tea, soup, stew and wine or chewed them like raisins. It has been cited by several ancient Chinese Medica since the Tang Dynasty for its multiple health benefits, where they are believed to maintain healthy immune system, improving eye conditions, support health liver and kidney function, maintain healthy blood presurre and blood sugar. Wolfberry is also an excellent herb for anti-oxidant and anti-aging.

Wolfberries are almost never found in their fresh form outside of their production regions, and are usually sold in open bins and small packages in dried form. The amount of desiccation varies in wolfberries: some are soft and somewhat tacky in the manner of raisins, while others may be very hard. Wolfberries are usually used directly, and do not need to be rehydrated prior to use.

Wolfberries are sweet in taste and neutral in nature; Some people say wolfberry tastes somewhat like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. They can be eaten raw, consumed as juice or wine, brewed into a tea. As a food, dried wolfberries are also eaten raw or cooked, though sometimes drier, more tart and less sweet, with a slight Chinese herbal scent. Dried wolfberry is an ingredient often used in Chinese soups. Young shoots and leaves are also grown commercially as a leaf vegetable. A wine containing wolfberries (枸杞酒) is also produced.

Wolfberry recipes:
1. Chew 8-10 of fruits every morning and evening.
2. Tea:
· Boil 1/2 oz wolfberry fruits, make a wolfberry tea and drink it every day. It helps to alleviate the effects of high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
· Take 1/4 oz of wolfberry fruits and 1/4 oz of chrysanthemum to make a tea. It helps to alleviate blurry vision.
3. Wine:
· Put 1 oz of wolfberry fruits and some Chinese cooking wine in a bottle or a jar and carefully seal it. It is ready to use after 30 or 60 days. Drink once per day. It helps to alleviate teary eyes.
· Take 7 oz of wolfberry fruits and 1 liter of Chinese white wine and seal them in a bottle or a jar. Ready to use in 10 days.
4. Stew or steam with meat:
Stew pork, beef, chicken or fish, add 1/2 - 1 oz of wolfberry fruits 10 minutes before the meat is done. You may steam fish or chicken with wolfberry fruits as well.
5. Rice soup:
Take 2 oz of wolfberry fruits and 3 1/2 oz of rice and add some sugar to make rice soup.
6. Cereal:
Mix 1/2 oz of wolfberry fruits with cereal to make a healthy breakfast.
7. Bread or muffin:
Use wolfberry fruits to make a banana bread or muffins just like raisins. Wolfberry bread provides more nutrients than raisins.