Living in Australia with my Chinese partner gives me access to a few exotic creations on the food front! At the market yesterday we grabbed a pack of "crocodile sausages" which are destined for the barbeque next week...yum! On the healthy side I was a little suprised that my partner brrought home some freeze dried goji berries from the local Asian Supermarket. She told me that they are often used in the cooking process as an additive to meals as well as being eaten as a snack. Interesting...as I thought they were just another MLM gimmick. Haing captured my curiosity I decided to check it out and this is what I have come up with...and for what its worth...THEY ACTUALLY SEEM TO WORK!

Goji berries are small red berries that grow in the remote areas of Tibet, Mongolia and China. Goji berries are one of the richest source of carotenoids, including beta-carotene (more beta carotene than carrots), of all known foods or plants on earth. Goji Berries are a very rich source of vitamin C, having 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges, actually more almost than any fruit you could name. Goji berries are often available and used in dried form. Goji berries are also cooked in combination with chicken or pork, vegetables, and other herbs such as wild yam, astragalus membranaceus, aodonopsis pilosula, and licorice root. Goji berries are also brewed into tea. Goji berries are also consumed as Goji berry juice. Goji berries are also used to manufacture beer.

Many of the legendary health-giving properties of lycium barbarum (goji's Latin name) are today being confirmed in modern scientific studies, and this has led to the possibility of even more far-reaching benefits. toning and shaping their muscles, burning fat and calories, dropping inches from their waistlines, and just getting healthier all around. With so many health benefits of goji berries one cannot ignore the importance of the goji berries and want to add them in their diet. Dried Goji berries are a chewy treat, tasting like a mix between dried cherry and cranberry. Dried goji berries are also wonderful foods that are rich in carotenoids. Dried goji berries can become a wonderful energy drink during the course of the day. Dried, the fruit can be added to meals or sprinkled on dishes for a splash of colored.

Dried Goji berries have many wonderful health advantages, some of which include the prevention of eye disorders Goji berries are a most valuable source of alkaline healing and cleansing minerals. Antioxidants are present in Goji Berries, and they are the active ingredient that slows down the aging process. Antioxidants help to slow down aging by preventing damage to a cell’s DNA, and stopping abnormal growth.

The berries have 18 amino acids (higher than bee pollen) and 21 trace minerals, linoleic acid, and more beta carotene than carrots. These special little berries contain more protein than whole wheat (they are 10% protein) and are rich in B vitamins which are why so many people report increased energy after consuming the acai, fiber, protein, and even omega-3 fatty acids.

AWESOME STUFF! Please let me know about your Goji experiences and your opinion on this little Himalayan wonderfruit. Thank You