Where does Goji berry come from?

Tibetan Goji grows on extensive vines in the sheltered valleys of Tibet, India and Mongolia and in the regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang of China. The Tibetan Goji berry is considered the “mother of all Lyciums.” Tibetan Goji grows in remote unpolluted soils, rich in nutrients so that the berries burst with vitality.

“Goji is the colloquial name given by the indigenous Tibetan and Mongolian people of the region” (Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute of Tibet), thus it is incorrect to call the Chinese Lycium - wolfberry a Goji berry.

The Chinese version, Lycium wolfberry, has undergone many environmental, climatic and toxic changes since it was taken from Tibet thousands of years ago and cultivated in China. The Chinese botanical farms both private and commercial commonly use DDT and many other toxic chemicals (over thirty five commonly found on Chinese wolfberries) and have been for over sixty years. This has made Chinese Lycium considered unusable as a medicine or as a food source. The cultivators of Chinese Lycium - wolfberry, openly admit to using 'controlled' pesticides in Ningxia (the number one Chinese Lycium growing region of China).

The Tibetan Lycium plants' relocation a few thousand years ago and that of growing in a new environment of China, plus unstable toxic cultivation practices have all contributed to clearly creating huge differences between Chinese Lycium wolfberry and the ancient Tibetan Goji berry - which has a history of use going back seventeen centuries in Tibet and is definitely the original (Dr. Jigme Dorje).

“Research studies show that the Tibetan Plateau and Mongolia with its bordering mountains, represents unbroken connections from tropical to extremely cold, prehumid to extremely arid conditions. The flora accordingly is extremely rich and varied in places…in terms of biodiversity, SE Tibet, Yunnan, NW Tibet, and Xinjiang has narrow intervening belts, unique on earth, and very supportive of Goji vine and berry growth” (Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute). The berries are never touched by hand as they will oxidize and turn black if touched while fresh, thus, they are shakened onto mats, and allowed to dry for approximately 3 weeks, before cleaned and bagged for shipment.