I have seen these berries quite often in China. Sometimes in soup sometimes in health tea mixtures. I wanted to taste them alone and got hold of some and steeped them in gongfu style. The liquor was light yellow, which I did not expect, and it had a pleasant flavour and aromas of glutenous rice, berries with some tartness.
Goji berries are also known as Wolfberries, and they have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years to boost fertility in both women and men. Recent researches support the use of goji berries in this way. For instance, this website discusses the results from a study carried out by scholars at Wuhan University that showed that Goji berries protect against testicular tissue damage induced by heat exposure and raise the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase in the reproductive system, raise sexual hormone levels etc.
Chinese Materia Medica lists other applications of goji berry including for nourishing the liver and kidney to improve vision and prevent ageing and nourishing the lung yin to relieve cough.
What is even better about goji berry is that you can eat the dried or soaked berries however you like. It has both sweetness and tartness but boosts energy levels. I cannot wait to use this berry more often as I now have discovered it.
Tea Profile:
Type: Tisane
Origin: China
Harvest time: 2020
Leaf colour: Dark red berries
Liquor colour: Bright yellow
Tea Aroma: Fruity
Tea taste: Sweet with glutenous rice and fruity flavours and a slightly tart finish
Steeping/brewing: Place 5g in 100ml of water at 100ºC and rinse for for 2 seconds. Steep for 30 seconds during the first infusion, and add 10 seconds to the subsequent infusions. You can re-steep this tea a couple of times.
Shelf life: 1 or 2 years