How to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry? These characteristics will tell you

Black wolfberry is a health product with certain medicinal value and is very rare. According to experts, black wolfberry is not only difficult to pick but also has only a one in ten chance of appearing, which means that only one out of ten wolfberries is black. So, when buying, how do you distinguish between real and fake black wolfberries?

Identification by soaking in water:

The color of black wolfberry is very strong and contains a lot of anthocyanins, which will show different performances in different water quality. It turns purple when soaked in acidic water (mineral water) and blue when soaked in alkaline water (spring water, tap water, etc.).

Characteristic identification:

The fruit of black wolfberry is dry and wrinkled. After soaking, the fruit is oval, slightly flat, 5-8mm long. The diameter is 3-5mm. The surface is purple-black, with irregular wrinkles and slightly shiny. The fruit has remnants of the style and pedicel and persistent calyx. The texture is soft and moist. The seed is one, long oval, 3.5-5mm long, 2-3mm wide, reddish brown or brown, slightly pointed at the top, rounded and triangular, with 6 shallow longitudinal grooves extending to the middle, the base is blunt and has dozens of quasi-circular pits. The smell is slight and the taste is sweet and slightly sour. After the finished black wolfberry is dried, the fruit stalk can stand up, and the part after the fruit stalk is removed is a very round, white circle. After it is completely dry, it turns into powder if you squeeze it with your hands. These are some characteristics that other fake fruits do not have.

Microscopic identification (cross section of peel):

The exocarp of wolfberry is a row of flat cells with thick walls, covered with cuticle, and with wavy outer edges. The mesocarp is a dozen rows of thin-walled cells, which contain calcium oxalate crystals. Bi-tough vascular bundles are scattered. The endocarp has one row of cells, which are smaller and extend tangentially.