Goji Berry Sensation

Small green leafed vines produce fruit that are bright orange red in colour and are known by a variety of names Goji Berry ... Wolfberry ... Happy Berry ... Gouqi ... Gou qi zi.

Being very delicate, at harvest time the berries are not picked; but rather shaken from the vines. They are then slowly dried in shaded areas.

When dried, the Goji Berry looks a bit like a red raisin, is very chewy in texture and has a herbal taste.

Or is it something more?

Once upon a time - 800 AD, actually - there was a Buddhist Temple surrounded by walls. One of the walls was covered by strong Vines that produced delicious Goji Berries. And it was next to this Goji covered wall, that a well was dug.

As you can imagine, season after season, every time the vines produced Goji Berries, some of them fell onto the ground surrounding the well and into the well itself.

So the water over time became infused with Goji Berries.

The water from the well was drunk by those in the Buddhist Temple, some locals and those who came to pray and as years passed by, it was noticed that these people lived healthy long lives, keeping all of their teeth and a lots of their hair colour.

So began the legend that Goji Berries promote longevity and it's remembered to this day - probably thanks in part to the Goji Poem by Liu Yuxi

(excerpt from gojimovement.blogspot.co.uk)

Liu Yuxi of Tang Dynasty (618-907)

The Well of Youthful Living

A cool well beside the monk's house,

A clear spring feeds the well and the water has great powers,

Emerald green leaves grow on the wall,

The deep red berries shine like copper,

The flourishing branch like a walking stick,

The old root in a dog's shape signals good fortune,

The goji nourishes body and spirit,

Drink of the well and enjoy a long life

Does this Legend have some Truth in it or is it a Myth? What do you think?

This is one of my favourite drinks.

There is nothing better than eating your own freshly grown produce, so why not buy a few plants and in a couple of years you can pick your own fresh Goji Berries. Could anything be more healthy than that!