Açaí FamilyUVITA · COSTA RICA

AÇAÍ FAMILY · A FIELD GUIDE

The Açaí Book

Euterpe oleracea Mart. — Arecaceae

Açaí (say ah-sah-EE) is the fruit of a slender palm from the Amazon estuary. For generations it has been an everyday food in northern Brazil. Here is the plant, plate by plate.

Botanical illustration of the açaí palm, its flowers, fruit bunch and a cut berry
Plate I. — Euterpe oleracea Mart.

PLATE I · ANATOMY OF THE PALM

Touch the plant
to read it.

Infructescentia

Fruit bunch

One bunch can carry hundreds of berries. They ripen from green to a deep purple that looks almost black.

PLATE II · FROM SEED TO HARVEST

How açaí grows.

I

Weeks 0–8

Seed

Fresh seeds are sown in warm, moist soil. They lose their life quickly, so they are planted soon after the harvest.

Botanical study of açaí berries with one cut open to show the pulp and seed
Plate III. — The fruit, whole and in section.

PLATE III · WHAT IS INSIDE

Small berry.
Remarkable pulp.

  • The colour comes from anthocyanins, the same family of plant pigments found in blueberries and red grapes.

General nutritional information about açaí, not medical advice.

PLATE IV · THE APOTHECARY

What açaí gives back.

For generations, families along the Amazon have eaten açaí every day. Today scientists are studying why. Turn the wheel to open each specimen card.

Specimen № 01 / 08

Antioxidants

Anthocyanins · polyphenols

What's inside
The deep purple colour comes from anthocyanins and other polyphenols — açaí is one of the richest fruits in them.
What research suggests
Antioxidants help the body deal with oxidative stress. Studies show açaí pulp has a high antioxidant capacity.
How to enjoy it
Eat it as fresh as possible — the pigments are delicate, which is why local açaí matters.
Choose a benefit

General nutritional information from published research on açaí — not medical advice. Speak to a health professional about your own needs.

PLATE V · WHY LOCAL MATTERS

Fresh açaí
changes fast.

The pulp is delicate once picked. Growing it in Costa Rica means fewer kilometres between the palm and you.

FROM OUR PALMS TO YOUR BOWL

Taste açaí that never
left Costa Rica.

For homes, cafés and anyone who loves the real thing.

Ask about our açaí
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