Skip to main content

Benefits of Black Goji or Black Wolfberry - Newest Herb in Town!

I ran out of my dang gui pills recently so I decided to pop by Veng Tatt Soon in town.

I usually try to eat one dang gui pill per day after my menses. I try to be as consistent with this but even so, I sometimes forget! I thought this would be a better option on days when I am too tired to double boil dried dang gui soup or even ba zhen soup.

If I am to make these soups, I must first check if my freezer has chicken drumstick. I find my soups more palatable if I have at least some chicken in it. Also, I read that protein combines better with the nourishing goodness of these soups.

So dang gui pills (RM25 for 100 clear capsules) will have to make do when I am not in the mood to boil any soups!

Anyway, as I was about to walk out of the herbalist shop, I saw some plastic jars stacked near the counter. I'm always curious about new herbs so I asked the guy.

He told me these were black wolfberry or black goji berry.

Looks like black peppercorns, don't they? They're black wolfberries though they look nothing like the red ones. 


I was surprised.

All this while, I only thought there were only (red) wolfberries or red goji berries.

As with most herbs, the black wolfberries are from China (I believe Qing Hai).

But they don't look like the red ones. They're not longish at all. In fact, if you look closely, they resemble dried blackcurrants. They're black and tiny and a little shriveled.

As with most black coloured herbs, these black wolfberries (Lycium ruthenicum) are supposedly excellent for the eyes and kidneys.



I'm a sucker for anything that helps maintain good eyesight because I believe the eyes are important and much more so in my business - where I need to be online mostly.

Did I tell you that I have developed some farsightedness? I did my iLasik surgery years ago and did away with my short-sightedness. I can see into the distance and read words most people can't. That's the beauty of ilasik!

However, now I am having problems reading small print.

I need to hold the small print further away in order to see the words! I have been trying NOT to get reading glasses because I don't want to rely on them. Glasses are like crutches. The more you rely on them, the more you will rely on them and never give your eyes the ability to regain their ability.

I looked a little hesitant until the guy told me I could buy a bigger packet for far less. Plus I was attracted to the idea of just steeping these tiny berries and drinking them as a warm tea. Always a plus point for me if I don't have to do lots of preparation.

So what are black wolfberries good for?

They're good for people with fatigue, with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and maintaining eye health.

Apparently, these tiny black goji pack a punch of goodness in antioxidants and vitamins galore like 50x more vitamin E (but compared to what?). This information came from Eu Yan Sang. But theirs is super pricey. I am still a tad doubtful of the veracity of their claims but I do believe that these berries should be good for eyes and kidneys.

That's how tiny they are! Taste-wise, they're slightly sweetish. 


So how do you eat them?

You can eat them as a snack or steep 1 teaspoon in a cup of warm water (do not use boiling water). You don't need to boil or simmer. So it's perfect for lazy asses like me haha.

Just pour warm water over them and you can drink them in 5 minutes. Even faster than drinking chia seeds.

There are no instructions if they're safe for daily consumption but as with all herbs, go easy. If I am in doubt, I usually space my consumption out in a week.

There is too much of a good thing sometimes! (Even with burdock which I love to bits, I take it easy too. Just 2-3 times a week will do!)

So I'd say, maybe 3 times a week of this black goji tea (if you take it as a tea). I've heard it being called Russian gojiberries too.

Here's a regular red wolfberry tea that you can make at home.

In the meantime, I shall try this and update everyone here if I feel any different after consuming this black wolfberry tea. The tea looks dark purple. I bet you it's similar to my clitoria ternetea (bunga telang) purple!

And if you're curious what the plant looks like, take a look at this video.







Have you tried this black wolfberry before? What are your thoughts?

Comments

ziztine said…
Hi there, I just came across this last week. I am keen to use it to improve eyesight. Did it help with your eye health?
Krista Goon said…
Hi Ziztine: I can't really say for sure as I am also eating other things like coconut oil, chia seeds etc. Did you manage to get some to try?
Lee jin said…
Why the price have so much different

Popular posts from this blog

Astralagus Tea (Huang Qi) For Liver, Kidneys and Immunity

I recently bought a small container of wild astralagus slices when I was back home in Banting to visit my dad. There's really nothing much to do in Banting except spend time with my dad or take him out for breakfast of bak kut teh or nasi lemak.  The nearest and most interesting place is Tanjung Sepat which is a seaside village that has become rather prosperous due to the influx of local tourists from other parts of Selangor or even other states.  Many come to Tanjung Sepat for its fresh seafood and fish and the seafood restaurants are a big attraction. There's also a scenic spot called the Lovers' Bridge which in the 1990s was a rickety, almost falling down wooden bridge jutting out to sea.  This is where the fishing sampan or fishing boats would moor and have their catch hauled up to the shore. I am not sure if this bridge was demolished but the bridge is no longer there. A little further down is now a man-made cement bridge that juts out to sea. Tourists can walk out to

24 Herb Tea - Bitter, Foul-Tasting But Oh So Good For You!

Was out running a couple of errands this entire afternoon and ended up buying groceries at the nearby supermarket. If I had a choice I wouldn't go into this decade-old supermarket because it's small, cramped and you tend to knock into other shoppers with your trolley (yes, the aisles are that narrow). Nic and I figured that we might as well buy our groceries since we were in this vicinity and he did need some coffee. Finally we ended up with a trolley full of cheese, butter, coffee and noodles. Anyway, I was getting thirsty after all the errands and shopping. We decided to stop and have a drink at this stall which sells Chinese herbal tea. This uncle who mans it is actually a Hong Kong native who has been living in Malaysia for a long time. He drives a little white van which he parks at the corner of a junction and opens up for business. You see, he sells hot and cold Chinese herbal teas of all types - the kind that is slowly boiled and brewed. It's common to see Mal

Have You Seen Curry Leaf Berries?

Ripe berries or fruits from my 9 foot curry leaf tree.  This is a photo of the ripe fruits from my 9 foot curry leaf tree or known scientifically as  Murraya koenigii   . Yes, most curry leaf plants are about human height.  Mine is a bit special because when it was still a young sapling, I used a lot of my own homemade compost . It had so much of nutrients that it started growing taller and taller.  Right now, it is shading the compost pots!  Which means I am cooler when I stand under this tree to do my daily composting. You see how wonderful it all works out to be?  Because these berries attract the Asian koel (black birds with fiery red eyes which make the annoying loud "ku-yo, ku-yo" sounds), the curry leaf seeds get propagated everywhere.  Yet some drop right under the tree and start growing. I have a curry leaf sapling attack haha. I keep pulling the saplings up as there's just too many.  Besides throwing them into my curries (my most