Acaí

What is Acaí?

Acaí is a delicious deep purple fruit, found growing on tall, slender palm trees in the Amazon Region where it has been consumed in the form of a pulp (purée) for centuries. Many describe the taste as a vibrant blend of berries with chocolate.

Benefits of Acaí

Antioxidant Powerhouse.
Contains Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 essential fatty acids in proportions similar to olive oil.
A 100 gram serving of açaí contains as much as 4-5 grams of dietary fiber.
Has a protein profile similar to an egg.
Contains essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamins B1(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin), Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.
Contains minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, copper, and manganese.
Immunity supporting plant sterols.

The History of Acaí

Açaí has been a main staple food of Amazon natives for centuries.

Açaí’s popularity began to spread when the açaí pulp was discovered to hold its nutritional value if frozen soon after processing. Soon after, it was brought to the city of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970-80's by northern Brazilians from the Amazon region, and açaí started being consumed as a natural source of energy.

Products including açaí bowls gained popularity—a delicious and healthy combination of frozen açaí, guaraná, fresh fruit, and granola. This style of açaí quickly became very popular with amateur and professional sports athletes, surfers and the fitness-conscious. By the mid-90’s, açaí was firmly part of Rio’s beach culture with every bar, gym, and beach stand doing a robust trade.

Today, açaí is popular throughout Brazil, and its consumption is firmly a part of Brazilian culture.

Açai is now starting to gain popularity throughout the US and Europe. Because the majority of açaí is wild-harvested, açaí has become a sustainable industry, providing an alternative to the depletion of the Amazon for cattle ranching, logging, or soy farming. With a guaranteed harvest every year, the average local farmer can now help to preserve their environment and way of life, while also sustaining themselves financially.

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Harvesting Acaí

Amafruits uses hand-picked açaí berries, taken from the wild-grown açaí palms in the Amazon River drainage basin. They are naturally organic and harvested at the perfect stage of ripeness.

To prepare the liquid pulp, the ripe fruits are washed and soaked in water to soften the thin outer skin. Traditionally, the fruits were then squeezed and the large seeds strained out to produce a dense purple liquid with a distinctive flavor. Today, Amafruits açaí purees are made using the latest technology in a state-of-the-art processing facility, but the traditional flavor remains—thanks to painstaking attention to detail and a deep commitment to excellence.

Immediately after the pulping process, Amafruits açaí purees are flash pasteurized and quickly frozen to preserve the purity and nutritional properties of the açaí. Our açaí has been produced with hands-on direction and expertise to ensure unsurpassed quality and unequaled taste in every puree.