Goji berries are also known as the “fruit of the gods.” In ancient books, it is said that long-term consumption of goji berries can help one maintain a light and youthful body. Those with a poor complexion, sleep problems, backaches, hair loss, nearsightedness, or night blindness can consume goji berries with other food to improve these conditions.
How do you pick good goji berries then? What are some ways to eat them for good health?
3 tips for picking goji berries
How to pick quality goji berries? The following three tips will help you identify goji berries that you should not buy:
1. All the same color
If the whole goji berry is the same color, do not buy it — it has been artificially dyed. That is why the whole berry, including the tip, becomes the same color. The tip of a natural goji berry should be khaki, which signals a healthy and high-quality goji berry.
2. Sour smell
Berries are treated with sulfur in order to give them a very bright color. Though the appearance looks good, you can tell by the smell that this is not something you want to buy.
3. Soaking water becomes discolored
If the berries are soaked and the water quickly becomes discolored, do not buy them. This is another way to tell that they have been dyed.
5 recommended goji berry dishes for different uses
1. Goji berry and red date tea for skin care
People who often stay up late, have dark circles under their eyes, and whose hands and feet are frequently cold should try a cup of tea made from goji berries and red dates.
There is a book from the Song Dynasty titled Book for Old-age and Serving Parents that says long-term use of goji berries can improve eyesight, give one a better complexion, lighten the body, and keep one young. Both red dates and goji berries are considered liver tonics. Not only can they eliminate fatigue, warm the body, improve cold hands and feet, and make the face rosy, but they can also calm the mind, improve the quality of sleep, and lighten the dark circles under the eyes.
Method: Put a handful of goji berries and five red dates into a thermos, add boiling hot water, cover, and brew for five minutes. In wintertime, you can also add a piece of ginger to drive away the cold.
2. Goji berries in honey water for nearsightedness or farsightedness
Goji berries nourish the eyes. They can help improve both nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Method: Take a tbsp of goji berries, put them in a cup with boiling water, wait for two to three minutes for the water to slightly cool off, then add a spoonful of honey and stir well. Drink a cup in the morning and at night every day for improved vision.
3. Goji berry porridge for eye health
Poet Lu You of the Song Dynasty said that eating a bowl of goji berry porridge every morning and listening to the sound of chimes can clear the mind.
If you often stare at the computer screen at work, have dry eyes, tired eyes, watery eyes, or eye pain, you can also be like Lu You and eat goji berry porridge every day for breakfast. If you are the sweet type, you can add some brown sugar to turn it into a sweet porridge. If you want it savory, you can add meat or ribs to make the porridge tasty.
4. Medicinal goji berry soup for kidneys and hair
What can you do if you are losing your hair and experiencing a receding hairline? Do not worry. The following Chinese medicinal recipe not only can prevent hair loss, but it also helps hair growth.
Ingredients: 30 grams of steamed rehmannia root tuber, 25 grams of black beans, 15 grams of goji berries, and half a pound of lean meat.
Method: Boil the black beans first with eight bowls of water for about 30 minutes, then add other ingredients and simmer for about one hour. The soup is done when there are almost two bowls of water left. You can just drink the soup or eat the ingredients as well.
Black beans, goji berries, and steamed rehmannia root tuber are all for the kidneys. Steamed rehmannia root tuber is also considered to be a blood tonic. Drinking this soup two to three times a week will bring a prominent effect.
5. Chicken soup with goji berries and red dates to protect the back and muscles
Have you ever counted the hours in a day that you sit at a desk or in a chair?
Many people start their work at eight in the morning. Their hands are constantly on the keyboard and the mouse. They keep staring at the computer screen until eight or nine in the evening. As a result, they have lower back pain and even have stiff backs when they get up in the morning.
It is said in Shennong’s Herbal Classics that goji berries, when eaten over time, can firm tendons and bones, lighten the body, prevent aging, and allow the body to endure cold and heat. Frequent eating of goji berries can strengthen the kidneys and back, relieving or preventing back pain.
Ingredients: Half a chicken, 6 to 8 shiitake mushrooms, 8 red dates, a small handful of goji berries, and a little ginger.
The above portion is for three people. Ingredient amounts can be adjusted in accordance with the number of people being served.
Method: Soak dates, mushrooms, and goji berries separately in water and set aside. Cut the chicken into pieces, blanch it briefly, and remove any scum. Dump the water out and put the chicken back in the pot with fresh hot water. Slice the ginger and mushrooms, and add them to the pot with the chicken. Add the soaked goji berries and red dates and boil for an hour. Finally, add some salt. This simple and delicious chicken soup with goji berries and red dates is ready to be served.
Translated by Cecilia
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