In the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil grows a towering palm tree called the acai palm. The long, thin trunk of the palm stretches 25 meters high in the air and is topped with a group of leafy branches. Two times out of the year these branches are packed with hundreds of small, dark purple berries that account for a huge part of the native diet.

Traditionally harvested by a brave person shimmying up the tree and cutting the branches, the acai berry is now mass produced by small villages of farmers. Due to it’s very short (24 hour) life span, acai berries must be harvested into baskets, loaded onto boats, and shipped to the local markets and processing plants as soon as possible. Usually boats will transport the berries to the local town over night.

Processing & Packaging

Because the acai fruit only makes up 10% of the actual berry (The berry is mostly seed surrounded by pulp), it’s put through a process that separates the pulp from the seed to produce a thick, edible puree. Depending on where it’s going, the acai may also be turned into juice, pulp, dried, or freeze dried into powder.

The juice and pulp of the acai berry is frequently used in juice blends, smoothies, and other beverages. In northern Brazil, acai is often served in gourds called “cuias” with tapioca and, depending on the local preference, can be consumed either salty or sweet. Acai has become popular in southern Brazil where it is often mixed with granola and consumed cold as acai na tigela (“acai in the bowl”).

Recent Interest

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the acai berry from the United States and other countries. Large companies are now buying the berries from local farmers and turning them into a plethora of acai berry products from expensive juice to powdered supplements.

Fortunately, this arrangement is extremely beneficial both to the local people and the Rainforest itself. Harvesting acai doesn’t destroy any trees, quite the opposite; it encourages locals to protect the trees instead of chopping them down for wood or palm hearts.