How to distinguish the authenticity of dried black wolfberry?

The health-preserving function of wolfberry is very strong, and black wolfberry is a better variety of wolfberry. Not only is its nutritional value higher than that of ordinary wolfberry, but its price is also much higher than that of ordinary wolfberry. Therefore, it is inevitable that some fakes will appear and inferior products will be passed off as good ones. This requires us to master certain identification methods to avoid being deceived. So, what is the method to distinguish the authenticity of dried black wolfberry? Let’s take a look below.

1. Look.

First, look at their seeds. There are multiple small seeds in the black wolfberry fruit, while there is only one larger seed in the white thorn fruit. The one with smaller and more seeds is the black wolfberry.

The second is to look at its appearance. The black wolfberry is a flat oval with a short axial direction and a long radial direction, while the white wolfberry is a long oval with a long axial direction and a short radial direction. The flat one is the black wolfberry.

The third is to look at its flesh. After crushing the seeds of fresh black wolfberry, the authentic black wolfberry has about ten small seeds inside, and the small seeds are shaped like a fruit; the fake white thorn fruit has a single core, and does not have the deep blue-purple color like the black wolfberry.

2. Pinch.

The black wolfberry fruit can be turned into powder by pinching it with your hands, while the white thorn fruit of Tangut will not be easily crushed due to its high sugar content.

3. Taste.

"Taste" means putting the fruit in your mouth and tasting it. The sugar content of the white thorn fruit is high and the taste is sweeter. The sweetness of the black wolfberry is not as high as that of the white thorn fruit. The one with less sweetness is the black wolfberry.

4. Soak.

"Soaking" means soaking the dried black wolfberry in water. With the release of anthocyanins, the color of the black wolfberry gradually fades. After soaking for a long time, the black wolfberry will turn into a blue and white translucent color. Also, if you break open the black wolfberry, you will find about 10 small seeds inside.

It is particularly noteworthy that black wolfberry contains three times as much anthocyanin as blueberry. Anthocyanin turns light blue when soaked in tap water and purple in purified water. However, the difference will gradually decrease as the soaking time increases. When the petals of the black wolfberry are opened, the inside is the same color, which cannot be achieved by dyeing. This is a good proof that black wolfberry is natural in color.

The color of white thorn fruit is similar to that of black wolfberry, and you can't tell the difference unless you look carefully. But when white thorn fruit is put into water, the color is lighter, the same is true for blueberry, while black wolfberry changes color quickly when soaked in water, the color is darker, and it will show different performances under different water quality. For example, it turns purple when soaked in acidic water (mineral water) and blue when soaked in alkaline water (spring water, tap water, etc.).

5. Identification of selling price.

Real black wolfberry, especially those grown in the wild, is a precious resource with limited production, and one kilogram costs at least two thousand yuan. The fruit of other fake black wolfberries often costs no more than a hundred yuan per kilogram. If you come across black wolfberry that is priced too low, you should be alert, as it might be a fake.