In China and Tibet the berries are usually eaten raw or made into teas and soups. If you look for Asian recipes using the dried berries you will find such things as chicken soup that contain goji berries or a warm hot grain cereal that has goji berries added to it. Asians often make a tea by boiling herbs and the goji fruit in water for their anti-aging formulas.

If you look at recipes from the U.S. you will find recipes that call for the goji berries to be soaked overnight (or even for 15-20 minutes to soften them) and whipped in a blender in the morning. This “goji puree” is then the base for a smoothie or delicious drink.

Here are examples of Chinese goji berry soups:

Chinese Wolfberry and Sea Bass Soup

1 sea bass (any fish seems to work)
½ cup goji berries (wolfberries)
1 pound mushrooms
1 scallon, chopped
5 slices of fresh ginger
5 cups of broth
Salt (use a natural mineral-rich salt, if you can)
5 Tablespoons rice wine

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce Smear fish with 1 tbsp of rice wine and a little salt.
Add in the wolfberries, button mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hoisin sauce.
Boil the stock in a separate medium to large sauce pan.
Place the seasoned fish into the sauce pan containing the stock.
Simmer the soup until the fish is done (about 20 minutes)
Add rice wine and salt to season before serving.

Sizzling Rice Soup
In this delicious soup, the crispy rice crackles and pops in the hot soup just before serving.
Serves 6 people

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried black mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 cup gou qi zi (dried Chinese wolfberry)
1/2 cup chicken breast, sliced thin
1/4 cup spring onions
Boiling water
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup mushroom stock (reserved liquid from soaking the dried mushrooms)
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, sliced thin
1/2 cup snow peas (can substitute frozen peas)
1/4 cup fresh shrimp, shelled, deveined, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Crispy rice (See Below)
Coconut Oil for deep frying

Directions:
Soak mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve 1 cup. Cut mushrooms into quarters and set aside.
Bring water to boil. Put in chicken and pork. Cook until the color changes. Rinse in cold water. Drain.
Add the chicken stock to the reserved mushroom liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, pork, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Then add the peas and shrimp. Bring to boil again.
Season with salt and soy sauce. Add the sesame seed oil. Bring to a boil. Remove to a tureen or bowl.
Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready, prepare the Crispy Rice. Deep-fry until it puffs and turns brown, then drain on paper towels.
At the table, slide the sizzling rice into the soup. The rice will make crackling sounds as it meets the hot broth.

To Make Crispy Rice
Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 8 - 10 squares

Rinse 1 cup of long or medium grain rice.
In a pot, add 1 1/2 cups water (1 1/4 cups for medium grain rice) to the rice and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from burner and allow to cool.
While rice is cooling, preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the rice on a baking sheet, making sure that it is about, but no more than, 1/4-inch thick.
Bake the rice for 50 - 55 minutes, until it is dry.
Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.
Store in a canister until needed. Do not freeze.

Other ideas:

Trail Mixes
Goji berries also go very well with coconut chips and soaked dried nuts.
People use this combination for home-made snack bars, trail mixes, granola, and other snacks. Wilderness Family Naturals has a healthy snack mix using these ingredients that can be found here. (You will need to create the links)

Goji berry Juice
To make your own Goji berry juice drink here is a basic recipe:

1/4 cup goji berries
2 cups pure water

1. Soak berries in water for 4 hours or more, overnight is fine.

2. Blend in blender until well blended.

optional: 1/4 cup fresh blackberries, raspberries or blueberries can be added to the puree. You can also add other fresh fruit such as apple, mango and/or banana. If you use just the goji berries you will have a nice, nutritious goji berry juice. If you add additional fruit you will have a great smoothie. Most goji juice companies add the berries which are low in carbohydrates and high in antioxidants.

If this is not sweet enough for you or your family you may want to add a little natural, raw honey or raw agave syrup.

Whole Goji Berries, Certified Organic Raw, Wild , Sun-dried, Whole (from Tibet)
8 oz.	$7.25
1 lb.	$12.95
5 lb.	$56.00
22 kg. (48.4 lbs.)	$484.00
Sample, limit of 4	$2.00

Goji Great Ideas!

I have been enjoying your wolfberries. A Chinese friend of mine likes to put 4 or 5 wolfberries in his tea. They hydrate in the tea, add a tiny bit of sweetness, and are lovely to eat when you get to the bottom of the cup.

How do I use Goji berries?

Chinese Wolfberry and Sea Bass Soup

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