A delicious soup that is rich in the unique flavors of the wolfberry leaves.
The very neat thing about this soup is that the base is an old fire soup, while when adding the final ingredients, it’s a quick boil soup. This is a classic from my mother and she even grew her own wolfberry plants (in our backyard!) just for the sole purpose of making this soup!
Start this soup as a long boil (the chicken soup base) and allow the flavours of the soup to come out (no wolfberries, no eggs)
When you’re ready to make the egg drop, scoop it out separately in another pot before you add the egg drop, this will help preserve the base soup and lasts longer (if you plan to keep it in the fridge)
Wolfberries leaf are quite distinctive in taste and boil quickly, if it’s the first time trying (or you have children), add it in slowly or a little at a time and taste it
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Ingredient Name: Wolfberry leaves (also known as goji berry leaves, barbary matrimony vine leaves, bocksdorn leaves, Duke of Argyll’s tea tree leaves, red medlar leaves or matrimony vine leaves)
Traditional Chinese Name: 枸杞 (gǒu gǒu)
Yes, this picture is of the wolfberry plant! It was grown in my mother’s backyard vegetable garden and for the sole purpose of soup production. I used to drink this soup all the time as a child and it still brings back fond memories of my great soup past. However, I never (and still don’t) enjoy eating the leaves, but they do make for a healthy and rich soup. The taste is very distinct and it’s either you love it or hate it. The Chinese say that the taste is very “golden”.
What is this?
Young shoots grow to be about 2-3 m in height with heart shaped light to dark green leaves
They grow in bundles with a very strong and firm bark or stem
A relatively easy plant to grow and are suitable for growth in most regions (they often grow wildly in fields)
They are slightly cold in nature and the leaves are slightly bitter to taste
Leaves are often used in Chinese herbal teas and soups (or as a leaf vegetable in dishes)
How do I prepare it?
Remove from stem and rinse in warm water
Where can I buy this?
Most Asian supermarkets will carry this produce fresh
What is the cost?
Wolfberry leaves are very affordable with a few dollars (CAD) per large bunch
Any benefits?
Has an effective to remove heatiness
It aids in reducing thirst and has a calming effect on the body (thereby eliminating anxiety)
Extremely high carotene content
Excellent source of Vitamin E
Any precautions?
Some species of wolfberries and leaves are known to contain a toxic ingredient called Atropine (naturally occurring)
Not many concrete studies are available on the benefits of wolfberries and their leaves
Said to be slightly cooling, so precaution to be taken with women who are pregnant in their first trimester (as cooling ingredients cause contractions)
Additional Information
Fresh wolfberry leaves can keep for up to 3 days in the fridge
