Goji Berries UK: Buying, Using & Recipes

Somewhere around 2007, goji berries became famous in Britain almost overnight. They turned up in glossy magazines, health-food shop windows and on the breakfast tables of people who could not have found them on a map the year before. The word ‘superfood’ was thrown about with great enthusiasm and very little evidence. Then, as these things go, the fashion moved on to the next miracle berry, and a lot of half-eaten bags of goji were quietly retired to the back of the cupboard.

Which is a pity, because goji berries were never really a fad. In Chinese kitchens they have been a store-cupboard staple for centuries, tossed into soups, brewed into tea and stirred into rice porridge without anybody making a fuss about it. This guide is about using goji berries in the UK the way they were always meant to be used: as a genuinely useful, lightly sweet, slightly tangy ingredient. We will cover how to buy good dried goji berries, how to store them, how to eat them, how to brew goji berry tea, and a set of recipes that go well beyond sprinkling a few on your muesli.

Goji berries at a glance

• What they are: small, bright red dried berries from Lycium barbarum, also called wolfberries or, in Chinese, Gou Qi Zi (枸杞子).
• Taste: sweet with a gentle tang, a little like a cross between a cranberry, a cherry and a sun-dried tomato. Honestly.
• How to eat them: straight from the bag, soaked for a few minutes, brewed into tea or cooked into soups and porridge.
• Buying goji berries in the UK: look for plump, deep red berries with no added sugar, oil or sulphites.
• Storage: an airtight container somewhere cool and dark; the fridge in warm weather.

What are goji berries?

Goji berries are the fruit of a woody shrub in the nightshade family, which makes them distant cousins of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. The fresh berries are soft, juicy and bruise if you so much as look at them, so almost everything sold in Britain is dried. Drying concentrates the sweetness and gives the berries their familiar chewy, raisin-like texture.

The plant has a fine collection of names. In English it is sold as the goji berry or wolfberry; in Chinese it is Gou Qi Zi (sometimes written Gou Ji), and in older British gardening books you will find the shrub called the Duke of Argyll’s tea tree, after the Scottish aristocrat who is said to have planted it in Britain in the 1700s. So, in a roundabout way, goji has had a foothold in this country for a lot longer than the 2000s health craze suggests.

Whatever you call them, the berries are the same thing. Goji berries and wolfberries are not two different fruits, despite what some enthusiastic packaging would have you believe.

Goji in Chinese cooking

In Chinese home cooking, goji berries are less of a health food and more of a seasoning. They go into clear soups for a little colour and sweetness, into rice porridge (congee) at breakfast, and into simple teas alongside dried jujube dates (Chinese red dates) or dried chrysanthemum flowers. They are also a common addition to stir-fried greens, where a handful of berries adds bright red specks and a hint of sweetness to garlicky spinach or pak choi. Nobody in a Chinese kitchen measures them. You just throw in a small handful and move on.

Who eats goji berries?

Goji had its celebrity moment in the 2000s, when it seemed every magazine had a story about a famous name eating them by the handful. A lot of those stories were more marketing than fact, so we will stick to what is on the record.

Novak Djokovic, who has been very open about how carefully he eats, is one of the better-documented examples. Reports on his tournament breakfasts have described a bowl of gluten-free granola with pumpkin seeds and goji berries, which is about as sensible a use of goji as you will find. If the most decorated men’s tennis player in history is happy to scatter a few on his breakfast, the rest of us can probably manage it too.

And then, of course, there are the millions of Chinese grandmothers who have been dropping goji into the soup pot for generations without ever appearing in a magazine. They remain the true experts, and most of the recipes below owe something to them.

Goji berries UK: a buyer’s guide

Type ‘goji berries UK’ into a search engine and you will get thousands of results, from supermarket own-brands to specialist herb shops. They are easy enough to find these days, but quality varies a great deal. Here is what to look for, whoever you buy from.

What good dried goji berries look like

• Colour: a deep, even red to reddish-orange. Very pale, brown or blackened berries are usually old or poorly stored.
• Texture: soft and slightly pliable, like a good raisin. Rock-hard berries have dried out; very sticky, clumped berries may have absorbed moisture.
• Size: plump, reasonably uniform berries rather than lots of tiny, shrivelled ones.
• Smell: mildly sweet and fruity. Anything musty, sour or chemical is a no.

Check the label

The ingredients list on a bag of dried goji berries should say one thing: goji berries. Some brands add sugar, sunflower oil (to stop clumping) or sulphur dioxide (to keep the colour bright). None of those are necessary. Our dried goji berries are non-sulphur treated, with nothing added, which is how we think they should be.

Which pack size should you buy?

If you are trying goji for the first time, or you only use a handful a week in tea or porridge, our 100g pack of dried goji berries is the sensible place to start. If you already know you love them, or you brew goji tea every day, the 500g bulk bag works out better value. And if you want the flavour in a cup without simmering anything, there is also a concentrated goji granule that dissolves in hot water.

How to store dried goji berries

Dried goji berries are fairly hardy, but a little care keeps them soft and bright for longer.

• Keep them airtight. Once the bag is open, tip the berries into a jar or tub with a good seal, or use a well-closed resealable bag.
• Keep them cool and dark. A cupboard away from the oven and kettle is ideal. Heat and light fade the colour and dry the berries out.
• Use the fridge in summer. In a warm kitchen, or if you will not finish the pack for a few months, the fridge keeps them in better condition.
• Clumping is normal. Goji berries are naturally sticky, so they clump in humid weather. Just break them apart with your fingers. If they smell musty or show any sign of mould, throw them away.

Stored well, an opened pack will stay in good condition for several months. Check the best-before date on the pack and trust your nose.

How to eat goji berries

This is where most people go wrong. They eat a handful straight from the bag, decide goji berries taste a bit like slightly savoury raisins, and give up. Dried goji berries are perfectly fine eaten as they are, but they are at their best when they have had a chance to soften.

Straight from the bag

Yes, you can eat dried goji berries straight from the pack, as a snack or mixed into trail mix. Start with a small handful (10 to 15g); they are chewy and quite concentrated.

How to soak goji berries

Soaking plumps the berries up, softens the texture and brings out the sweetness. Cover them with warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, or cold water for 15 to 20 minutes, until they swell and turn glossy. Drain and use in salads, bakes, overnight oats or anywhere you might use raisins. Do not throw the soaking water away: it is faintly sweet and pinkish, and it makes a perfectly nice drink or the start of a smoothie.

Cooking with goji berries

The golden rule is to add goji berries towards the end of cooking. Simmer them for too long and they go soft and lose their colour, bursting into slightly sad pink blobs. For soups, congee and stews, add them in the last five to ten minutes. For stir-fries, add them in the last minute or so, just long enough to warm through.

For more ideas, our article on how to use goji berries in cooking goes into detail on using them in everyday meals.

How to make goji berry tea

Goji berry tea is the simplest thing in the world and one of the nicest ways to use them. It is naturally caffeine-free, gently sweet and quite beautiful to look at in a glass cup.

Basic goji berry tea

1. Rinse a small handful of goji berries (about 10 to 15g) under cold water.
2. Put them in a mug or teapot and pour over water just off the boil.
3. Leave to steep for 5 to 10 minutes, until the berries are plump and the water has turned a pale amber.
4. Drink, then eat the softened berries from the bottom of the cup. That is the best bit.

Goji berry and jujube tea

This is the classic Chinese pairing, and for good reason. Slice or lightly crush 3 or 4 dried jujube dates, put them in a small pan with 500ml of water and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a handful of goji berries for the last 5 minutes, then strain into cups. The dates add a deep, honeyed sweetness and the goji adds a bright, fruity note. Our full guide to goji and red dates tea has three variations.

Goji and chrysanthemum tea

Put a few dried chrysanthemum flowers and a small handful of goji berries in a teapot, pour over water just off the boil and steep for 5 minutes. Light, floral and very pretty. Lovely after a big meal, or on a grey afternoon when you need something more cheerful than another builder’s brew.

Iced goji tea

Make a double-strength batch of goji and jujube tea, let it cool, then pour over ice with a slice of lemon or a few mint leaves. A grown-up alternative to fizzy drinks on a summer’s day, and the only iced tea we know that comes with edible garnish already included.

Goji berry recipes

These are the recipes we come back to again and again. All of them are vegetarian, most are vegan, and none of them requires a trip to a specialist shop beyond a bag of goji berries.

1. Goji berry porridge

The easiest way to make goji a habit. Serves 2.

• 80g porridge oats
• 500ml milk or oat milk (or half milk, half water)
• 2 tbsp dried goji berries
• 1 small apple, grated, or a sliced banana
• A pinch of cinnamon; honey or maple syrup to taste
• To finish: toasted black sesame seeds, chopped nuts or seeds

Put the oats and milk in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring. After 3 minutes, add the goji berries and grated apple and cook for another 2 minutes until the porridge is creamy and the berries have plumped up. Add cinnamon and sweeten to taste. Top with sesame seeds or nuts. The goji berries go soft and jammy, like little bursts of fruit compote. Even confirmed porridge sceptics have been known to come round.

2. Chinese-style goji and vegetable soup

A light, clear soup of the sort that appears on Chinese family tables almost every evening. Serves 4.

• 1.2 litres good vegetable stock
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then sliced (keep the soaking water)
• 2 slices of fresh ginger
• 200g firm tofu, cubed
• 2 heads of pak choi, quartered
• 2 tbsp dried goji berries
• Light soy sauce, salt and white pepper to taste; a few drops of sesame oil

Bring the stock, the strained mushroom soaking water, the sliced mushrooms and the ginger to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the tofu and simmer for 5 minutes, then the pak choi and goji berries for the final 3 to 4 minutes, until the greens are just tender. Season with soy, salt and white pepper and finish with a few drops of sesame oil. Clean, savoury, gently sweet and very good for a cold November evening.

3. Garlicky spinach with goji berries

A five-minute side dish that looks far more impressive than the effort involved. Serves 2.

Soak a tablespoon of goji berries in warm water for 5 minutes and drain. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan, add two sliced garlic cloves and fry for 20 seconds until fragrant. Throw in 300g of spinach and toss until just wilted, then add the goji berries and a splash of light soy sauce for the last 30 seconds. Serve straight away. The red against the dark green is lovely, and the sweet berries play brilliantly against the garlic.

4. Goji berry rice pudding

Proper British comfort food with a quiet nod to the East. Serves 4.

• 100g pudding rice
• 750ml whole milk or oat milk
• 40g caster sugar
• 1 strip of orange zest and a pinch of nutmeg
• 3 tbsp dried goji berries

Put the rice, milk, sugar and orange zest in a heavy pan and bring gently to a simmer. Cook very gently for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is tender and creamy. Stir in the goji berries for the last 10 minutes so they soften without collapsing. Remove the zest, grate over a little nutmeg and serve warm. Or bake it in the oven at 150°C for 2 hours if you prefer a skin on top. Some people fight over the skin. We will not be taking sides.

5. Goji, oat and seed flapjacks

A lunchbox favourite. Makes 12.

• 125g butter or a plant-based block
• 100g light brown sugar and 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 250g porridge oats
• 60g dried goji berries
• 50g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 20cm square tin. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together, then stir in the oats, goji berries and seeds. Press firmly into the tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden at the edges. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares. Goji berries replace the usual raisins and add a pleasingly tart note. They also look a lot more cheerful.

6. Goji berry and banana smoothie

Soak a tablespoon of goji berries in 100ml of warm water for 10 minutes. Tip the berries and their soaking water into a blender with a ripe banana, a handful of frozen raspberries, 200ml of milk or oat milk and a spoonful of yoghurt. Blend until smooth. Soaking first makes all the difference: unsoaked goji berries tend to leave chewy bits in the smoothie that are, to put it politely, an acquired texture.

7. Goji berry popcorn

For film nights. Pop 60g of popcorn kernels in a large lidded pan with a tablespoon of oil. Melt 30g of butter (or coconut oil) with a tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt, pour over the popcorn, and toss with a handful of goji berries and some toasted coconut flakes. We have a whole post on goji berry popcorn if you want the full version.

Goji berries compared with other dried fruit

People often ask how goji berries compare with the dried fruit they already know. In short:

The big difference is that goji berries work in savoury cooking as well as sweet, which raisins and cranberries mostly do not. For a deeper comparison, see our guide to goji berries vs raisins vs dried cranberries.

Goji berries in a balanced diet

Goji berries naturally contain carotenoids, including zeaxanthin, along with vitamin C, fibre and polyphenols. In Chinese food tradition, Gou Qi Zi is valued as a nourishing everyday food, which is why it turns up in so many family soups and teas. That is culinary heritage rather than a medical promise: like any dried fruit, goji berries are best enjoyed as part of a varied, balanced diet.

A sensible everyday amount is a small handful, around 10 to 15g. One practical note: goji berries have been reported to interact with blood-thinning medicines such as warfarin. If you take any regular medication, or you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a quick word with your GP or pharmacist before eating goji berries regularly. And because they belong to the nightshade family, anyone who avoids nightshades should treat them like tomatoes.

Frequently asked questions about goji berries

Where can I buy goji berries in the UK?

Goji berries are sold in supermarkets, health-food shops, Chinese supermarkets and online. We stock non-sulphur treated dried goji berries in 100g and 500g packs, with UK-wide delivery and free delivery on orders over £30.

Are goji berries and wolfberries the same?

Yes. Wolfberry is simply another English name for the goji berry, and Gou Qi Zi is its Chinese name.

Do goji berries need soaking?

No, you can eat them straight from the pack. Soaking for 5 to 10 minutes in warm water makes them plumper and softer, which is better for salads, baking and smoothies.

How many goji berries should I eat a day?

A small handful, around 10 to 15g, is a sensible everyday amount, eaten as part of a varied diet.

Can you cook with goji berries?

Yes. Add them to soups, congee, porridge and stir-fries towards the end of cooking, so they soften without losing their colour.

Why are my goji berries clumped together?

Dried goji berries are naturally sticky and clump in humid conditions. Break them apart with your fingers. If they smell musty or show signs of mould, throw them away.

What do goji berries taste like?

Sweet and slightly tangy, with a faint savoury note. Many people describe them as somewhere between a cranberry, a cherry and a sun-dried tomato.

Give goji a second chance

If your last bag of goji berries ended up forgotten at the back of the cupboard, it is time for a rematch. Brew a cup of goji and jujube tea this evening, stir a spoonful into tomorrow’s porridge, or drop a handful into a vegetable soup at the end of cooking. You will see why Chinese cooks never stopped using them.

Our 100g pack of dried goji berries is a good place to start, and for more inspiration have a look at our goji article on whether goji berries live up to the hype. Happy cooking, and do let us know how you get on.