The Goji Berry

This super fruit adds color, texture and exotic menu distinction.

Why are Goji Berries Hot?

Super fruits, specifically calling out goji berries, rank in the top 12 of the National Restaurant Association’s 2010 Restaurant Industry Forecast. They’re still an exotic item, to be sure, but a recent spotting at Starbucks indicates their fast track into the culinary pantheon.

A nutritional powerhouse, goji berries have been used in traditional Tibetan medicines for centuries. The majority of commercially-harvested goji berries hail from China and are dried to sell as both a health food and as a culinary ingredient. With a flavor profile that falls between cherries, cranberries and raisins, goji berries are sweet-tart, and have a background plum-like flavor.

Nutritional Info to Share with Your Diners¹

Rich in beta carotene

Excellent source of vitamin C (more than oranges!)

Excellent source of iron and antioxidants

13% protein—most fruit contains only trace amounts

18 amino acids

21 trace minerals (including zinc, copper, iron, calcium, selenium, and phosphorus)

Good source of vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B6

A whole world of culinary possibilities

Vinaigrettes: Make an emulsion with extra-virgin olive oil, puréed goji berries, Dijon mustard, sugar and salt and pepper
Jams: Blend goji berries and apricot with sugar
Cookies: Instead of oatmeal cookies with raisins, use goji berries
Bread puddings: Stud a bread pudding with goji berries instead of raisins
Stews: For a Middle Eastern twist, add rehydrated goji berries and red dates to stewed pork, beef or chicken in the last 10 minutes of cooking
Salads: Switch out dried cranberries or dried cherries with goji berries in a salad for textural play and color
Rice Salads: Add rehydrated goji berries, green onions, celery, pecans, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice and cumin to a blend of white and brown rice

Smoothie Stat!

According to Technomic’s 2009 Flavor Consumer Trend Report, 43% of diners consider the goji berry to be an appealing smoothie flavor. Aliza Katz, senior corporate chef at the Kraft Culinary Centre, suggests making a yogurt smoothie with puréed goji berries, strawberries, blueberries, coconut and banana.

Plumping Goji Berries

Most goji berries are sold as a dry fruit in this country. Dried, they add great texture to porridges, cookies and puddings. For stews, soups, salads and sauces, consider plumping the goji berries. As with dried cranberries or raisins, you can rehydrate them in water, but may want to infuse more flavor by plumping them in port wine, tea or even goji-berry juice.

How to Store Dried Goji Berries

Store them in a sealed container at or below 86˚F. Similar to other dried fruits, they should keep this way for up to 12 months.

Business Take Away: Delivering the Larger Message

At Seasons Restaurant, Westin Prince, Toronto, executive chef Samir Roonwal, menus a salad of baby spinach, goji berries, Cambozola, blueberry-yogurt dressing. The restaurant’s menu design draws attention to super foods in the dishes by adding an SF logo in front of them. So, for this salad, the restaurant alerts diners (who may not be familiar with goji berries) to its Super Food status. At the bottom of the menu, the restaurant gives an explanation about super foods, educating guests on the healthful benefits of these ingredients.

"The Westin has absorbed this into its culture," says Chef Roonwal. "Any time I use a super food, like walnuts, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, goji berries or cinnamon, we stamp that logo in front of the menu item. It’s all about education. Diners care about what they eat."

Indeed, the hotel offers business-conference attendees Super Food breaks instead of coffee breaks laden with sweet treats, and at brunch service, he displays jars of 20 super-food items, inviting customers to boost their yogurts, cereals, granola mixes and porridges with these nutrient-rich foods.

1. www.thedietchannel.com/goji-berries-goji-juice