Why Do Chinese People Eat Goji Berries (枸杞)?

June 24, 2026

If you’ve ever walked through a Chinese grocery store or browsed the dried goods section of an Asian supermarket, you’ve probably seen them: small, bright red, shriveled berries that look a bit like tiny raisins. They’re goji berries (枸杞, gǒuqǐ), and they show up in everything from soups and teas to congee and even some desserts.

In the West, goji berries have been marketed as a “superfood” for years, often appearing in expensive health blends and smoothie bowls. But in Chinese households, they’ve never really gone away. They’re a pantry staple — not because of a trendy marketing campaign, but because of a much older set of ideas about food and health.

So why do Chinese people eat goji berries? The answer goes back more than a thousand years, and it’s rooted in a way of thinking about the body that looks very different from modern nutrition.

What Are Goji Berries, Exactly?

Goji berries come from two closely related plants: Lycium barbarum and Lycium chinense. Both are native to Asia, and the berries have been used in Chinese food and medicine for centuries. They’re usually sold dried, which concentrates their flavor — slightly sweet, a little tart, and a bit earthy.

In Chinese cooking, they’re rarely eaten by the handful like a snack. Instead, they’re added to dishes as an ingredient. A handful of goji berries might go into a pot of chicken soup, a cup of chrysanthemum tea, or a bowl of congee. They’re not the star of the dish — they’re a quiet addition, something that’s believed to make the meal more beneficial over time.

goji berries Chinese – red goji berries steeping in a glass teapot — Photo by Joel Camelot on Pexels

The TCM Perspective: What Goji Berries Are Said to Do

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, every food has a “nature” (hot, warm, cool, or cold) and a “flavor” (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, or salty). These qualities determine how a food is thought to affect the body. Goji berries are classified as sweet and neutral — meaning they’re not considered particularly warming or cooling, which makes them suitable for most people in most situations.

Within the TCM framework, goji berries are most closely associated with the Liver and Kidney organ systems. In TCM theory, the Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of qi (vital energy) and blood, while the Kidneys are considered the foundation of vitality, storing the body’s essential energy (often called jing).

Goji berries are described as a herb that “nourishes the Liver and Kidneys” and “brightens the eyes.” This last phrase — “brightens the eyes” — is one of the most commonly repeated benefits in Chinese culture. It’s not about improving eyesight in the way an optometrist would measure it. In TCM, the eyes are said to be connected to the Liver, and when the Liver is well-nourished, vision is thought to be clearer and sharper.

This is why you’ll often see goji berries paired with chrysanthemum flowers in tea. Chrysanthemum is considered cooling and is said to benefit the Liver as well. Together, the combination is a classic TCM formula for eye health — something many Chinese families drink regularly, especially after long hours of reading or screen time.

Historical Origins: A Berry With a Long Paper Trail

Goji berries appear in some of the oldest Chinese medical texts. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), a classical text compiled around 2,000 years ago, lists goji berries as a “superior” herb — a category reserved for substances considered safe to consume over long periods and believed to promote longevity.

The text describes goji berries as beneficial for “strengthening the bones and sinews,” “calming the spirit,” and “extending the years of life.” These are grand claims, but they reflect a broader TCM principle: that certain foods, taken consistently over time, can support the body’s fundamental systems and help maintain health as you age.

Later texts, including the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) by Li Shizhen in the 16th century, reinforced these ideas. Li described goji berries as a remedy for “deficiency of the blood” and “weakness of the lower back and knees” — symptoms that, in TCM, are often linked to Kidney deficiency.

What’s interesting is that goji berries were never just a medicine. They were also a food. The line between food and medicine in Chinese culture has always been blurry, and goji berries sit right in the middle. They’re mild enough to eat daily, but they’re also taken seriously enough to be prescribed by TCM practitioners for specific concerns.

Why Goji Berries Are So Common in Chinese Households

Part of the reason goji berries are so widespread is simply practicality. They’re inexpensive, they keep well when dried, and they’re easy to add to almost any dish. A handful of goji berries thrown into a pot of soup doesn’t require any special preparation or knowledge of TCM theory. It’s just something many families do out of habit.

But there’s also a cultural layer. In Chinese families, food is often prepared with an awareness of its effects on the body — not in a clinical way, but as a kind of inherited common sense. A grandmother might add goji berries to a soup because “it’s good for the eyes” or “it strengthens the body.” She might not be able to explain the TCM theory behind it, but she knows it’s something her mother did, and her grandmother before that.

This kind of knowledge passes down through generations without ever being written down. It’s in the way ingredients are combined, the way soups are simmered, the way certain foods are reserved for certain seasons or life stages. Goji berries are part of that unspoken tradition.

Modern Perspective: What Does Research Say?

Goji berries have attracted scientific interest in recent decades, particularly for their antioxidant content. They’re rich in zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that’s known to accumulate in the retina and is associated with eye health. Some studies have suggested that goji berry consumption may help protect against age-related macular degeneration, though the research is still early and not conclusive.

Other studies have looked at goji berries’ effects on immune function, blood sugar, and inflammation. The results are mixed — some show modest benefits, others show no significant effect. Most studies are small, and many are funded by the supplement industry, which makes it hard to draw firm conclusions.

What’s worth noting is that the TCM framework and the scientific framework are asking different questions. TCM is interested in patterns of imbalance and how foods can gently shift those patterns over time. Modern science is interested in measurable biomarkers and clinical outcomes. The two approaches don’t always line up neatly, and that’s okay.

For many Chinese people, the value of goji berries isn’t something that needs to be proven in a lab. It’s something they’ve seen in their own families — a parent who drinks goji tea every morning, a grandparent who adds them to soup and seems to stay healthy well into old age. That kind of lived experience carries its own weight.

How Goji Berries Are Used in Everyday Cooking

If you want to try goji berries the way they’re used in Chinese households, here are a few common preparations:

Goji and chrysanthemum tea: A handful of dried goji berries and a few dried chrysanthemum flowers are steeped in hot water. It’s a mild, slightly sweet tea that many people drink throughout the day.
Chicken soup with goji berries: Goji berries are added to slow-simmered soups along with ginger, red dates, and sometimes astragalus root. The berries soften and release a subtle sweetness into the broth.
Congee with goji berries: A simple rice porridge is cooked with goji berries until the berries plump up. It’s often eaten for breakfast or as a light meal when someone is feeling under the weather.
Steamed eggs with goji berries: A savory egg custard is topped with goji berries before steaming. The berries add color and a hint of sweetness to the silky eggs.

In all these dishes, goji berries play a supporting role. They’re not the main ingredient, but they’re a meaningful addition — something that makes the dish feel more complete, more nourishing, more like home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are goji berries considered a medicine or a food in Chinese culture?

They’re both. In TCM, goji berries are classified as a “food-medicine” — a substance that can be consumed daily as part of a regular diet but also has specific therapeutic uses. This dual role is common in Chinese food culture, where the line between eating and healing is often blurred.

Do all Chinese people eat goji berries?

Not everyone, but they’re very common. Many Chinese households keep a bag of dried goji berries in the kitchen, especially among older generations. Younger people in urban areas may use them less frequently, but they’re still widely available and recognized as a traditional health food.

Can you eat too many goji berries?

In TCM, goji berries are considered safe in normal food amounts. However, because they’re sweet and nourishing, eating very large quantities might be too much for some people, particularly those with certain digestive patterns. In modern terms, goji berries are high in sugar and calories, so moderation is sensible.