From being unknown at the Spanish tables to starring in videos influencerssneaking into cafeteria breakfast menus and restaurants, you name it. Açaí has ​​made a big splash in the national cuisine. In a few years, it has managed to gain popularity under the label of superfood and enter stores and restaurants. But this success raises some questions: what is açaí? How is it consumed? So what is it for?

The first thing to do is clarify what it is. Açaí is a small, fleshy, purple-stoned berry that has gained a reputation over the last few years as a healthy food, ideal for breakfasts and snacks. But its origins are far from European; açaí comes from the naidí or murrapo palm. On Amazon.

What is Açai like?

At first glance, açaí resembles blueberries due to its size and color; a characteristic and intense hue between purple and violet. The berries are small, between 10 and 14 millimeters in diameter, and the flesh represents only a small part of the fruit, about 10%. The remaining 90% are actually seeds. As for prices, fork varies greatly depending on how it is presented, but it is possible to find pulp or freeze-dried pulp packs for less than 11 euros.

As we mentioned, its origin still continues Far away from Spain. It is obtained from a palm tree in the Amazon that reaches a height of more than 20 m and produces clusters from which 500 to 900 fruits are borne. In your report Fruit trees and useful plants in Amazon lifeFAO distinguishes basically between two types of palms related to açaí: Euterpe oleraceaNative to the Eastern Amazon; And Euterpe precatoria (açaí alone), from the western Amazon.

A new food?

Although açaí has ​​recently become popular in Spain, it has been consumed in the Amazon for a long time – quite a lot, in fact. Its history dates back to at least pre-Columbian times, and according to the FAO report, it is not uncommon for children to drink its juice as young as six months old in the regions where it is produced.

Another interesting fact is that the people of the Amazon do not only benefit from the palm tree fruit. They also benefit from the roots, seeds and stem (trunk) from which the hearts of the açaí palm, another delicacy, are still obtained today. However, over time, the fruit became popular in the United States and Europe.

A report compiled by Market Data Forescat predicts that the açaí berries market in Europe will grow at a CAGR of 11.34% between 2024 and 2029, 640 million In 2029, the dollar is well above the current 370. Its popularity has been helped by its visibility on Instagram or TikTok, where it is not uncommon to find videos with recipes.

What does it taste like and how is it prepared?

Açaí doesn’t just stand out visually. It does so to taste. “It has a pleasant, sweet flavor, close to raspberry,” explains Almalibre Açai House. Some people note that its flavor has an acidic touch and an earthy texture, with notes of other fruits such as raspberry and pomegranate; some even equate it to a combination of grape and chocolate. The truth is that açaí can be found in more than one format on the market, and it’s not strange to combine it with other ingredients.

Açaí is on sale freeze dried powder or as pulp. Stores sell sorbets, juices, smoothies or bowls accompanying him Toppings and other ingredients such as bananas, nuts, granola, chocolate or cereals. And this is among a long time. Its versatility allows it to be consumed with juices, yogurts or salads, making it popular among those who love it. smoothies.

“The purest way to consume it is açaí pulp. And the 1% pulp in the pulp, just like they sell it, is the highest concentration of fruit that can be found on the market,” he explains. Country Damián Castiñeira, from Coraçaí. Another popular use is in ice cream, as well as with fruits, condensed milk or yogurt.

A nutritious superfood?

The reason why açaí has ​​become so popular on both sides of the Atlantic is not only its taste and its success on social networks. One of the keys to its fame is that it is often presented as a “superfood”, a term also used for chia seeds, quinoa, goji or maca tea, although this label has generated some debate among experts who have tried to define the nutritional properties of the fruit.

Almalibre argues that açaí, for example, is rich in antioxidants, provides quality carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids and essential fatty acids, and is also a fiber-rich food, helping with skin and hair care.

They are not the only ones preaching good deeds of the fruit. In Quirón Salud they highlight its virtues in preventing constipation, improving intestinal microbiota and improving cardiovascular health. “It is also rich in vitamin A, C and B group. It is a source of calcium and various minerals,” he adds: It also contains healthy fats such as omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats.

The FAO and CIFOR report also highlights its strengths. “The pulp contains a high amount of calories, up to 247/100 g. The juice contains calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamin B1. It contains beneficial fatty acids such as omega-6 and omega-9 and its vitamin A level is higher than many other tropical fruits,” it says.

According to the authors of the report, “açai’s protein level milky“and the berries owe their distinctive dark lilac color to their richness in flavonoids, which means “a high dose of antioxidants.”

The benefits it brings to the fore do not necessarily mean that Amazonian fruits are a perfect food. He remembers that Country Nutritionist Azahara Nieto encourages putting açaí’s virtues in context: One of açaí’s most oft-repeated strengths is actually antioxidants, which are also available from berries grown in Spain and have a smaller pollutant footprint.

“It is also important to know that it is a high source of vegetable oil, that it is caloric,” insists Nieto: “It has nutritional properties, but without it it would be nothing” a global vision Improving diet and lifestyle will not mean a cure.

Images | Ella Olsson (Unsplash), Lisa Cyr (Flickr), Ella Olsson (Flickr)

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