Wolfberries and their history

Etymology:

Although the origin of the common name "wolfberry" is undefined, it may have derived from the Greek word for wolf, "lycos" (λύκος), first applied to tomato by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753. Botanically related to tomato in family Solanaceae, wolfberry may have assumed its name from the more common, larger berry, tomato - the "wolf-peach". Why Linnaeus named tomato after the wolf remains unknown.

In the English-speaking world, "goji berry" has been widely used since the early 21st century as a synonym for "wolfberry". While the origin of the word "goji" is unclear, it is probably a simplified pronunciation of gǒuqǐ, the Mandarin name of the plant, developed by those marketing wolfberry products in the West.

The mandarin name itself signifies happiness, and in certain regions, the plant is known as the vines of marriage.

The Beginnings of Wolfberries as a medicine:

Wolfberries don’t have a specific date for when people started using them. No matter how far one goes within the history of Chinese medicine, wolfberries seem to be always present.

Wolfberry Festival

Within most of Asia, wolfberries have gained such renown that they are celebrated each year. Thus, people gather for large celebration, which may last up to two weeks! During that time, millions of people exchange stories about wolfberries. There are as many legends then there are real life accounts, making it sometimes hard to differ reality from myth.

Legends about Wolfberries

The most known legend is the one of Li Qing Yuen, born around the year 1798, and who died in 1920. The legend tells us that Li Qing Yuen lived along mountains that were dominated by wolfberries and where they expended from one end to another along the horizon. Each morning, the Chinese men would go and pick a fresh bowl of these berries, and thanks to this, he was able to remain healthy all his life and maintain strong muscles and a strong heart, even in old age. He would have died, according to estimations, at the age of 120. On the net, one may find many versions of this legend, and some author even say that he lived to be 256 years old. According to many, his family, which would have spread the legend, made sure to precise that his good health was obtain thanks to his daily consumption of wolfberries.

The cultivation of Wolfberries

Wild Wolfberries may be found in Tibet, however, they are also cultivated in Mongolia and western China. They require a temperate climate, from -20°C in winter, to 25°C in summer. However, even if it is possible to cultivate it outside of Asia, the fruit cannot reach the same level of nutrition and of benevolence then when cultivated in its home country. According to researches, the fruit contains the highest therapeutic qualities when grown in the region of NingXia, which is situated in eastern Tibet. One must note that Tibet is part of China. The earth, the air, the water from the mountains and the altitude all contributes on the quality of this exceptional fruit.