Goji

Goji berries (gouqi, 枸杞) are the small, bright orange-red dried fruits of the wolfberry, grown above all in Ningxia in northwest China. They are soft, chewy and mildly sweet, with a faint herbal tang - as at home in a Chinese kitchen as in a teacup.

Taste and aroma in tea

In tea, goji lends a gentle natural sweetness and a warm amber tint to the cup. It softens the briskness of green and black teas and rounds out floral blends, adding a little body without any bitterness. The rehydrated berries are pleasant to eat straight from the cup once the tea is finished.

In the Chinese tradition

Goji is one of the best-loved tonic fruits in Chinese tradition, long associated with vitality, bright eyes and a steady constitution. It appears everywhere in daily wellness drinking - dropped into a flask of green tea, simmered in soups, or paired with red dates and chrysanthemum in a warming brew.

How to brew

Goji is easygoing: water at 85–95 °C is ideal, and the berries plump up within the first minute or two. A slightly longer steep coaxes out more of their sweetness.