Everyone's talking about them - everyone's eating them - but just exactly what is the Acai berry?
An Acai berry are not exactly berries but fruits about the size of a large grape (roughly 25mm in diameter). They grow on a kind of palm tree called Euterpe of which there are eight slightly varying species in Central and South America (the acai-berry homeland). These palm trees enjoy moist, warm conditions and thrive in swamps and floodplains.
The Euterpe (acai) palms grow large branched bunches of flowers which then turn into the famous acai berries - about 750 or more acai berries in a bunch.
Each individual acai berry starts off with green skin which often turns to a dark blackish purple depending on the type of berry and how ripe it is. Just inside the outer skin is a thin layer of tasty flesh or pulp and inside that is a single large seed rich in healthy oils. The technical name for this fruit is actually a 'drupe' but since everyone knows it as the acai berry the word 'drupe' is hardly ever used except in scientific articles. (Like this one :-D)
Here's something else you might not have known. According to Wikipedia and other sources, the word 'acai' is pronounced 'ah-sah-EE' - not 'ACK-eye' the way many people say it.
The native inhabitants of the Brazilian rainforest use the acai berries as a major part of their diet because it grows so abundantly, is tasty and is very nutritious. Some health claims for acai point to the excellent health typically enjoyed by these Brazilians (bear in mind that they probably get exercise too!)
Traditionally, acai can be served either savoury or sweet (a bit like cottage cheese can either be eaten with salty foods or with fruit and honey). The juice and flesh of the berries can be added to fruit juice mixes, made into smoothies, used to flavour commercial beverages and ice-creams or just served up in a bowl with sugar or honey and tapioca or cereals!
Outside South America, and especially in North America, Europe and other more developed countries, acai is the latest superfood to come to the consciousness of the health-conscious and those trying to lose weight. Because it is rich in anthocyanins, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and the valuable fatty acids of its large seed, acai is marketed as a 'super-health supplement' with many benefits such as raising energy levels, strengthening the immune system, improving digestion, giving the skin a healthy glow, detoxifying the cells of the body, reducing cholesterol, helping with sleep and improving sexual performance (it's not explained how the last two fit together exactly …)
As a dietary supplement , acai berries are not generally served up as ice-cream or with tapioca. Because it is important to preserve the natural ingredients of the fruit when it travels from South America to other parts of the world, the acai berry is usually carefully dried and powdered and then can be consumed in tablets, capsules, drink powders etc. However, more and more often acai berries are available as juice, smoothies, whole fruit and even in the form of 'acai chocolate'! (Maybe not for dieters!)
There's no doubt that the acai berry is here to stay for a while. Even if you haven't seen one for real, we hope this article has given you a better idea of what the acai berry is really like.
For more information on another recently found berry called the Maqui berry click here
