Black Goji Berries
Black Goji Berries
- Allow 7 to 14 days
Black goji berries are the dried fruit of Lycium ruthenicum, a hardy, thorny relative of the familiar red goji. They are mostly brewed as a tea, and a small pinch in warm water turns the whole cup a deep violet.
Key Benefits
- A tea that changes colour: add a squeeze of lemon and the violet cup turns pink in seconds, which works in iced drinks too.
- Mild and gently sweet: a soft berry flavour with a light floral note, and much less sugary than red goji.
- Rich in anthocyanins: the same purple pigments found in blueberries.
- Caffeine free: an easy afternoon or evening cup.
- Several cups from one pinch: the same berries give a second and third brew.
- Certified organic: grown and processed to certified organic standards.
Put 10 to 15 berries in a cup and pour over water that is hot but well off the boil, around 60 to 80 C, as boiling water dulls the colour. Leave it for 3 to 5 minutes, until the water turns violet. Top up with more hot water two or three times, and eat the softened berries at the end if you like.
For a cold drink, drop a pinch into a jug or bottle of cold water and leave it in the fridge for a few hours. Black goji tea suits floral flavours, so try it with a few Rose Buds or a spoonful of Jasmine Flower Tea. For another colour-changing cup, Butterfly Pea Flower Tea goes from blue to purple with lemon.
The colour change is the same chemistry as the red cabbage indicator from school science. Anthocyanins turn pink in acid and bluer in alkaline water, so very hard tap water can give a bluer cup.
Black and red goji share a genus but are different species. Red goji gets its orange-red colour from carotenoids, while the black berries carry far more anthocyanins.
The shrub copes with dry, salty soils that defeat most plants, and it is planted to hold sand in place as well as for its fruit.
Goji may increase the effect of warfarin and other blood thinners. Avoid if you are allergic to goji or to nightshade-family foods such as tomato. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.
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