LEGEND
Acai Berry - The Fruit of Life

Açai or "içá-çai", as the indigenous people knows it.
 Translated to English "The fruit that weeps".

For centuries, the indigenous people of Brazil's Northern Amazon region have harvested this exotic berry as an antidote for numerous ailments. Now, modern science has validated the wellness benefits contained within the acai fruit. For instance, by itself, the acai berry provides a remarkable source of protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. Particularly valuable are the dozens of polyphenols contained within this fruit.

The Acai Legend

Before the city of Belem was built, an Indian tribe used to live there. Because the food was very scarce, the chief of the tribe named Itaki, demanded that all the children would be sacrificed, including his granddaughter, daughter of Iaca. In a full moon night, Iaca heard a child's cry. She approached the door of her tipi, and he saw her little smiling daughter close to a beautiful palm tree. At the beginning she got static, but later on, she ran to her and held her tightly. Mysteriously her daughter disappeared. Her body was found holding the acai tree with a smile on her face. Her dark eyes were staring at the top of the acai palm tree, which gave birth to the black palm berry fruits. Itaki then demanded all the Indians to get the fruits, obtaining a reddish wine that was baptized acai, in tribute to his daughter (Iaca inverted name). He fed his people and after this day, he suspended the order to sacrifice the children.

The Palmtree

The acai palm is a tall slender South American (concentrated in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname) palm grown for its fruit as well as for the "cabbage" (the cluster of new leaves more commonly called the "heart of palm"). It prefers swampy areas, and grows quickly.

The fronds were (and still are) used for thatching and weaving. Each acai palm tree produces small deep purple, almost black, fruit (berries) in groups of 3-8 per bunch. The fruit is edible, and its pulp is used in wines, liqueurs, as flavoring, as colorant, and on its own as a juice.

Current (Western) Use - Acai is currently being tested not only for its health properties, but as a dyeing or contrasting agent in the human body in preparation for MRI scans of the gastrointestinal tract.


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