Acai Berry Fruit

The acai berry palm is a tall and slender tree and grows up to 20 to 30 meters height. Acai berry is a grape - shaped fruit which is small, round, and purple - black in color. Each branch of acai berry bears almost 700 - 900 fruits and at a time, two crops of this fruit are cultivated every year.

The seed of the fruit is quite large and comprises almost 75 % of the fruit ' s total content. The exocarp of the fruit turns green or dark purple after ripening depending on the species of acai. The mesocarp of the fruit is thin but pulpy with 1 mm thickness. This surrounds the hard endocarp and voluminous, in which the seed is situated with abundant endosperm and diminutive embryo.

Acai is the staple food of the people of Brazil and is harvested mainly for this purpose. The Caboclo population of Brazil is dependent on this fruit because it constitutes a major part of their daily diet. Almost 42 % of their total intake of food is covered by this fruit which is affordable as well.

The juice and pulp of acai berry are quite advantageous for health and because of this reason, acai has gained worldwide popularity. The pulp and juice of this fruit are used for making different kinds of blends and are mixed with sodas, smoothies, and other drinks.

In northern part of Brazil, it is a tradition to serve acai in ' cuias ' ( gourds ) with tapioca. It can be consumed either sweet, ( adding sugar, honey, or rapadura ) or salty. In the southern parts of Brazil, cold acai is preferred after mixing it with granola. Acai juice is also added in ice creams to get a different flavor. The acai fruit has its medicinal advantages as well and is therefore, also used for medical purposes.