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Lying high in northwestern China, it is extremely fertile land. Here, on the banks of the Yellow River, under the hazy sky that covers the Luc Ban Son mountain range, the residents of Ninh Ha have for centuries cultivated one of the most sought-after fruits in Asia. by.
This little oval-shaped berry was once called “red diamond” because it is believed to have anti-aging effects.
It has been famous around the world as a superfood, but for the Chinese who have used this fruit in medicine from the 3rd century to now, this fruit is simply called goji berries, goji berries, or root root, monkey tuber , Tender.
Goji berries are grown in all parts of China, but the geographical characteristics of the Ninh Ha region mean that this fruit when planted here reaches the highest quality.
“The combination of cold mountain winds, mineral-rich soil and irrigation water drawn from the famous Yellow River has made goji berries from the Ningxia region extremely valuable,” said Evan Guo, sales manager. of Ningxia Baishi Hengxing Food Technology Company, an organic goji berry farm, he says.
The farmers of Ninh Ha still harvest the fruit with the same method that they used to do throughout history.
From July to September of each year, the farmer crouches under his waist-high bushes filled with ripe, tomato-red fruit. They skillfully pulled the sweet fruit each time from the vines and placed it in a bamboo basket.
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Ninh Ha farmers still harvest goji berries as they did throughout history
The Chinese love of goji berries dates back hundreds of years, and Chinese healers have long believed that this fruit has a healing effect.
The oldest bibliography that records this is Manuscripts, the Chinese encyclopedia of pharmacology compiled by the famous physician Ly Thoi Tran in the 16th century.
Ms Zhang Ruifen, a physician working in the Eu Yan Sang Traditional Chinese Clinic system, which has many facilities in China, Malaysia and Singapore, said: “It is a very detailed record, and the century The name of death is recorded in this bibliography. The doctor describes how each herb is formed and how they are used. ”
The Chinese believe that goji berries are both a fruit and a medicine: this fruit contains a lot of vitamin C, antioxidants, amino acids and trace elements.
Chinese healers often prescribe this fruit to help strengthen liver and kidney function.
“Chinese mothers say it is necessary to eat this fruit because it is good for the eyes, because it contains carotene,” said Zang, who conducts research on traditional Chinese medicine in Beijing. “I prescribe this fruit to help strengthen the kidney and liver system, which is the system that Chinese doctors believe is part of it.”
At home, Chinese women and men often sprinkle dried goji berries on chicken stewed with jujube and ginger, put them on the stove over low heat for a long time, or soak them with chamomile tea to increase the vitamin content.
When this fruit is prescribed to patients, Zhang is often combined with other herbs. “Usually we don’t use a single herb to treat diseases; each one is just part of a pill,” he explains.
However, there are times when doctors like Ms. Zhang do not prescribe this fruit to avoid aggravating the disease.
“If a person has a fever, swelling or a sore throat, which is ‘hot’ as it is called in Chinese medicine, I advise them to stop eating goji berries during that time,” he said. shall.
“If the patient also suffers from ‘wet’ and diarrhea, what we call asthenia, we also advise against eating this fruit. But when healthy, goji berries are generally suitable for everyone.”
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In China, goji tea is considered to have many health benefits
Goji has long been a part of Chinese culture.
According to legend, more than 2,000 years ago, a medicine man came to a village where everyone lived over a hundred years old and discovered that everyone was drinking water from a well surrounded by goji berries. It is believed that when the fruit is ripe, it falls into the well and the fruit’s vitamin-rich ingredients dissolve in the well water.
The old story also said that the 17th century herb merchant Ly Thanh Van ate goji berries every day. It is rumored that he lives to be 252 years old.
If this is not enough to entice the younger generation to eat the goji berry stew, Chinese mothers often convince their children to eat this fruit to have star-sparkling eyes without glasses.
But times have changed with this simple fruit, including the way people eat it.
Goji berries, which have been around for a long time in Chinese culture, are now considered superfoods inside and outside of China.
Young people in Asia now like goji berries, but that’s due to its other characteristics.
For example, Generation Z residents now buy “energy kettles” to make goji berries. Parents may recognize the traditional soup pot, now packaged in brands like Buydeem and made in striking pink on Instagram.
A 2019 study by the Generation Z Agility Strategy and Research Company in China shows that this generation thinks that being healthy is a top priority, even more important than money, career, and joy. single or married.
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Goji berries are also known as ‘red diamonds’ because they are believed to have anti-aging effects.
Goji berries are also popular with international consumers.
Classified as “superfoods,” Westerners spend up to $ 10 for a goji, three times the price in Asia.
The sale price of the superfood makes farmers more excited to quickly harvest and get produce to the supermarket when the season arrives.
Ninh Ha farmers collect around 180 thousand tons of fresh goji berries per year, but they sell most of the product in dry form because the life cycle of fresh fruit is quite short.
The berries will ripen quickly in the summer heat, which means that farmers must harvest them quickly. In ancient times, ripe ears were left to dry in large trays in the sun. Today, modern technology accelerates this process to meet market demand.
Ningxia Baishi Hengxing company owner An Weijun, born into a goji berry family, opened an organic goji berry farm eight years ago.
It also built a state-of-the-art processing facility where employees could dry their goji berries, as well as those of other organic agricultural producers in a short period of time.
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The peasants crouched in hip-level bushes covered in ripe goji berries.
It looks like the power of goji berries won’t fade anytime soon. A record 179 tons of fruit were sold in China during the Singles Day promotion (Black Friday in the Chinese version).
Asian trend seekers, like Amrita Banta, CEO of Agility Research and Strategy, also see that young Asians value healthier lifestyles.
“After so many years of Chinese consumers avoiding all China-made products that are outdated and unscientific, we believe that now in China there is renewed pride in the variety of products and methods. Traditional formula, “he shares.
“But the popularity of goji berries stems from the fact that the world is beginning to pay attention to the functionality of the fruit. Today, young Chinese eat goji berries because they are considered a superfood, not just for medicine. “. Traditional Chinese say they are good for the eyes, liver and kidneys. It is interesting to see that China is proud of its past, but it is still attached to the rest of the world. “
Young chefs across Asia also use goji berries in their dishes to evoke a bit of local flavor.
Chef Anna Lim used goji berries when she was invited to make a rare breakfast for fast food chain McDonald’s. The owner of the brand, The Soup Spoon, created a delicious porridge with goji berries, and this dish is so popular in Singapore that they have included it on a set menu.
“By adding goji berries, the porridge will have a natural sweet taste. Combining the color with the green of fresh coriander, white tofu and red goji berries, the dish becomes a colorful meal, elevating the simple porridge dish. in a healthy and nutritious dish, “says Chef Lim.
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The Chinese simmer the soup with goji berries for more vitamins.
While Chef Lim is still helping promote the fruit to younger generations, other chefs like Chang Hon Cheong from One Habour Road Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong hotel are still giving everyone a chance to reward. eat dishes as Asian families often do, “standard cooked rice”.
He dedicates an entire page of his menu to herbal soups, and goji berries are among the traditional ingredients he uses.
Diners can choose to sit in a Shanghai mansion-style restaurant, where Chef Chang serves a double stew that he prepares inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.
Every day, Chang’s group minced healthy ingredients, put them in a crock pot, and steamed them in a water bath.
The slow tunneling process improves traditional Chinese medicine and the farmers who grow the products.
“Cooking a dish by boiling two rounds is a very slow process of simulating food,” Chang explained. “From the boiled soup, I can fully extract the nutritious and tasty ingredients from the cooking ingredients.”
In addition to going to restaurants, health-conscious consumers also appreciate this superfood because Asian families have been used to it for generations.
You can simply put a pinch of goji berries in a soup pot or teapot, enjoy the raisin-like sweetness that this superfood provides, which has helped Asians stay young. .
