The Acai Berry

The Acaí (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of years and was first used by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a source of food and cure for various ailments.  In Belem (the northeast most province of Brazil at the mouth of the Amazon), Acaí has been a staple of the diet for hundreds of years.

The Acaí berry comes from the Acaí palm that has a long thin trunk up to 25m high with a group of branches at the top. Acaí berries hang from these branches in clusters. Local Brazilians shimmy up the trees and cut the short branches from the top rich in berries.  Acaí is both incredibly powerful yet delicate. It must be consumed or frozen within 24-48 hours after picking or else the berry loses most of its strong antioxidant power. So while locals eat the fruit every day, Acaí wasn’t introduced to the western world until fairly recently. Now in Belem, Acaí picking and processing has become a top industry supporting tens of thousands of local workers.

Acai palm branches

In the 90’s, the Acaí berry made its way down the coast in Brazil and first became a popular natural energy food among the surfer community. The Acaí berry was pulped and frozen to keep it fresh and became a natural part of smoothies and granola bowls eaten at the beach.

As its popularity grew, scientists got a hold of the Acaí berry and began to discover its amazing antioxidant properties, and rich composition in healthy Omega’s (similar profile to Olive Oil) and amino acids.  News spread quickly of this antioxidant-packed superfruit and Acaí can now be found in delicious juices and smoothies in the US, Europe and Asia.

And just recently Acaí was proclaimed the #1 super food on the Oprah Winfrey show.  Not bad for a berry that was unknown to the world outside of the Amazon just a few decades ago!