What is the Acai Berry?
In case you have been living in a cave for the past two years, let me explain what the Acai Berry is. It is grown on the Acai Palm Tree, one of several species of palm tree in the Amazon Rain Forest of Brazil. The Acai Palm tree gets its name from the latin phrase Euterpe oleracea, which was adopted from the Tupian word iwasa’I, fruit that cries water. Global demand for acai berries has expanded rapidly in recent years due to the discovery that acai has maximum antioxidant potency when compared to other fruits or even super foods. The acai berry supplements really gained in popularity when Dr. Oz was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and declared that the concentrated acai supplement form of the berry was the top superfood.
The acai berries are harvested as food by the natives in the Amazon region of Brazil. According to a study of three traditional Caboclo populations in the Amazon Rain Forest, the acai palm was described as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up such a major component of their diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by weight). Not to mention, it is economically valuable in the region.
Acai berries are often blended up into various juice blends and pulps. They are often freeze-dried which preserves their maximum antioxidant potency. However, the way that acai is prepared depends heavily on the region. In northern Brazil acai is traditionally served in gourds called “cuias” with tapioca and can be served either salty or sweet. In southern Brazil acai is usually mashed up into a pulp and served cold as acai na tigela (“acai in the bowl”), and is usually mixed with granola. It is also popular in Brazil to serve acai flavored ice cream or juice. A company based out of the United States has started bottling an acai wine called Mona Vie.