What is a goji berry?

The goji berry is a fruit native to Asia also known as wolfberry. It belongs to the family Solanaceae, which also includes tomato, potato, chili pepper, tobacco, deadly nightshade and eggplant.

The goji berry plant is a perennial with leaves in bundles of three, producing a reddish-orange berry. Workers harvest the plants by shaking them gently to release the ripe berries. The berries are usually dried, but they are also prepared into juice. Popular products containing goji berries include teas and granola cereals. Goji berries contain 11 minerals, 22 trace minerals, six vitamins and phenols believed to have antioxidant properties. Phytochemicals in goji berries include beta-carotene, polysaccharides and zeaxanthin.