TROPICAL FRUITS

Countless kinds of tropical fruits which can be found anywhere in Brazil will add a special flavour to the visual pleasures you'll have during your visit to Brazil. In this page, we will make some brief explanations on some of these delicious and coloured wonders of nature.

 


Guava

This delicious fruit, which can be consumed fresh as well as in form of fruit juice, besides being a rich source of Vitamin C, contains significative amounts of potassium and iron. Guava, for containing high amounts of collagen, is also good for making your skin soft as silk. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin, an enzyme used in making jam as well as promoting digestion. Guava fruit is still enjoyed as a sweet treat by Indigenous peoples throughout the rainforest.


Pineapple

This tropical fruit, commonly known all over the world, can be consumed fresh, in form of fruit juice or as the Brazilians do it, cooked together with meat. Pineapple, which is rich in vitamin C like many other tropical fruits, also contains vitamin B6, folate, thiamine, iron and magnesium. This tropical beauty received its appellation from the English because of its resemblance to the pine cone. Most other Europeans call it ananas derived from the Paraguayan nana meaning "excellent (or exquisite) fruit." The pineapple is native to Central and South America, where symbolic representations of its form were found in pre-Incan ruins.


Papaya

The fruit is the only fruit containing papain, a substance identical to digestive compounds produced by the pancreas. Papain is also used to clarify beer, bleach fabrics and tenderize meats. Some cultures call the papaya tree "the medicinal tree" because it’s seeds and leaves have been used to make medicine. They are often called tree-melons. Papaya is high in vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. A 150-g portion supplies 55 kcal (230 kJ).


Acerola
Acerola is a dark red, cherry like fruit which grows in the Caribbean, northern South America, central America and Mexico. It has a high vitamin C content and much of the vitamin C supplements labeled 'natural' are made from acerola. They have a sweet raspberry like flavor. Acerola can be eaten fresh, but are mainly used in preserves and pies.

Averola is also known as Barbados Cherry and West Indian Cherry.


Cajú

Cashew fruit, in the form of a juice, has been used as an anti-scorbutic (antiscurvy) due to its high content of vitamin C (up to 20,000 ppm). In cosmetics, it is considered as a rich source of vitamin C, which is the focus of a great deal of research and is indicated as one of the substances capable of capturing free radicals. In addition, the high amount of mineral salts gives cashew fruit skin remineralizing properties. Because of its high amount of vitamin C and mineral salts, cashew fruit is used as coadjutant in the treatment of premature aging of the skin and to remineralize the skin. It is also a good scalp conditioner and tonic, often used in shampoos, lotions and scalp creams.


Mango

This extremely juicy and delicious fruit is also called as "The Queen of Fruits". It is essentially peach-like but much more fibrous. The flavour is pleasant and rich and high in sugars and acid. There is a single, longitudinally ribbed, pale yellowish-white, somewhat woody stone, flattened, oval or kidney-shaped, sometimes rather elongated. It may have along one side a beard of short or long fibers clinging to the flesh cavity, or it may be nearly fiberless and free. A mango is "ready for lunch" if it smells good. Ripe mangos can be enjoyed raw eaten out of hand or as a fresh fruit, dessert, salad or salsa. They are also used for chutney, preserves, and jams.


Açaí

Açaí (spells "uss uh eeh") is a palm tree that occurs in several regions of the Amazon. Its fruit pulp is being used for making Juices and ice creams. The fruits nutritional values are extraordinary. Compared with raw cow milk, Açaí fruit pulp contains 4 times more energy, 3 times more lipids, 7 times more carbohydrates, 118 times more iron, 9 times more vitamin B1, 8 times more vitamin C, the same amount of protein and calcium, half as much phosphorus and even fights cholesterol and free radicals.


Carambola

Carambolas are best used fresh. They are also good when crosscut and dried. The skin of the fruit is tender and eaten – no need to peel, although sometime the outer edge of the ribs may be removed if they have become bruised. When preparing the fruit for fresh use it is usually crosscut and the small seeds removed. It can also be cut vertically with the ribs, removing the seeds and inter membrane, then cut into chunks for adding to salads and other fruit mixes. The crosscut slices look great floating in a punch bowl. They are a good source of potassium, moderate source of vitamin C, and contribute small amounts of other minerals and vitamins needed daily.


Avokado

Avocados, which have been cultivated in Central America for almost 7,000 years, are about 22% fat, with the average medium size avocado containing 300 calories and 30 grams of fat. It also contains high amounts of iron, magnesium, Vitamins C, E and B6. Avocado can be eaten fresh after mixing the green pulp with some sugar or honey, added to salads or cooked with meet.


Passion Fruit

The flesh is delicious eaten as it is, or to flavor fruit salads and juices. Flavor is tense but pulp can be eaten out of hand once you have cut through the leathery skim. The juice is sometimes described as a blend of citrus, pineapple and guava. Passion fruit seeds are edible so you can swallow them with the pulp. It can be served plain as a dessert or used to flavor a variety of foods like sauces, ice creams and beverages. It has a tranquilizing effect on your body. Eat them before you go to sleep and you will dream sweet dreams. Passion fruit contains a fair amount of vitamins A and C. A 100-g portion (four fruits, 60 g of edible flesh and pips) supplies 20 kcal (85 kJ).