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.
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.
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?
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?
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