GOJI BERRIES
Zgodovina
Goji berries are native to Asia and are today present all around the world.
In Europe, goji berries were cleared for sale in 2007 after confirmation that they did not belong to the so-called group of “novel food”.
Uporaba
Dried goji berries are a great snack, which can be eaten on their own, or can be used to make energy bars, home-made granola, nut mixes and other dried fruits and many more.
The berries go well with fruit/vegetable shakes, smoothies and no-bake desserts giving them a fresh and sour flavour.
They are perfect with cocoa beans or chocolate (milk, dark or raw).
The can also be used to make soups and stews, risottos and other similar dishes.
Pridelovanje
Goji berries are predominantly cultivated in China, Tibet and Mongolia and the Himalayan region. Flowering usually occurs in June and the berry maturation from July to October.
The plants belong to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, the same as potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines. Goji berries are produced by thorny shrubs, which can attain a height of three metres.
Zanimivost
Goji berries have been used by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and also go by the name “wolfberries”.
Goji berries are used in the production of cosmetic products.
The people in the Ningxiang province soak goji berries in wine to extract even more nutrients.