I was happy to see the Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) plant at the International Fruit Orchard.

And there are little green berries too. I’m sure the birds will be eating them once they ripen.

It’s doing very well and looks like it’s double in size since last year.

There are many health benefits to eating goji berries. In Chinese medicine, the berries and bark are used and believed to strengthen the immune system, help with eyesight (beta-carotene), protect the liver, and improve circulation.

A healthy inside means a healthy outside as goji berries also benefit your complexion and skin. So it’s overall a superfood.

Most of the goji berries in the market are cultivated in China. But they also grow well in Mongolia and at the Himalaya valleys of Tibet and Nepal. The people from that area have been consuming these berries for centuries and refer to them as “happy berries”.

Dried riped goji berries are really expensive at American shops, especially at health food stores. But most of the time you can find them for more reasonable price at Asian supermarkets.

If you’re interested in growing goji berries, read more at Veggie Gardening Tips.

Resources: The Telegraph, UK. “Goji berries: The new superfruit”

I first learned about jaboticaba from The Fruit Hunter. It’s probably one of the most interesting, if not unusual fruit I’ve ever knew is in existence.

Brazil would be a fruit lovers dream destination as it’s known for it’s many variety of unique fruits, especially the Acai berries. Jaboticaba is probably loaded with vitamins just by looking at the dark purplish color of the skin.

This reminds me of modern art where someone decides to place each giant grape along the tree trunks. Image source: Wikipedia/Jabuticaba

According to the California Rare Fruit Growers, this fruit is from the same species as camu-camu. It can also be grown successfully from Florida to Hawaii. Some are also grown in southern California and also as far north as the San Jose and San Francisco Bay areas. The plant grows well as a container specimen.

The fruit is described as tasting very similar to Muscadine grapes. But the skin contains tannin so it makes your lips pucker. The real treat is probably the sweet flesh. It’s described as being delicious eaten out-of-hand. And it can be made into jellies, jams and wine.

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