About The Acai Palm Tree
and its Fruit
Acai is the fruit from the acai palm tree.
There are about 2700 species of palm trees and the tree we call the acai palm is one (or two) of them. The latin name for the palm tress that bear the acai berry fruit are E. oleracea (actually Euterpe oleracea) and E.edulus.
The acai palm tree does not grow outside of the South America area. Attempts to grow the tree outside of its native area have failed.
The acai palm has two growing seasons per year. The Amazon and surrounding areas are where this tree grows from the Atlantic coast of Brazil and in forests well inland and in surrounding areas.
There are eighteen names for the fruit in different languages:
- Brazil = acai, acal, acaizerio, assai, jicara, jucara, palmiteiro
- Trinidad = manac
- Suriname = manaca, manaka
- Columbia = naidi
- French Guiana = pinapalm, piria, pinot
- plus prasara, wapoe, wasei, and wipi
The fruit makes up a big part of the diet of the inhabitants of these area. Its eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and some individuals consume up to two liters a day of acai juice. It's on the menu in most hotels through the Amazon River region when the fruit is in season.
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