Food Encyclopedia

wolfberry

A fruit popular in China and other areas of Eastern Asia, where it's been an important part of traditional medicine for several millennia. Wolfberries are exceedingly rich in nutrients including amino acids, antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins and minerals. Because of this, they've gained a reputation in Western cultures as a superfood. In the United States the wolfberry often goes by the name goji berry or Tibetan goji berry. This bright red berry is between 3⁄8 and ¾ inch long and shaped like a plump almond. It belongs to the nightshade family, which includes eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes. Dried wolfberries taste like a combination of raisins and dried cranberries with a slight nutty quality. This berry is most often found as juice, typically blended with other fruit juices; sometimes dried berry bits are embedded in energy bars. Natural food stores also carry wolfberry juice concentrate, powder and capsules. Though Tibet is often associated with the goji berry, most of these berries are imported from China.