Hello!
Today we will tell you about a berry that few have heard of. To do this, we need to
go to the forests of South America. We are talking about the acai berries, the fruits
of the South American Asaiseiro palm, which is widespread in the Amazon Delta.
It grows most of all in Brazil, in the state of Para. Locals call it açaí in translation
- fruit. Cultivated for the edible core of the fruit, rich in nutrients. The local population
has been using them for food throughout history, just as blueberries or raspberries are harvested
from us. The acai fruit looks like a cross between
blueberries and black grapes. Although they resemble grapes in size and color, unlike
grapes, acai flesh is only 20% of the fruit. The remaining 80% is a very strong bone, from
which the locals make beads and other jewelry. These berries are widely used in traditional
Brazilian cuisine. They are usually eaten raw, consumed as a juice, or used to flavor
dishes. Acai berries gained worldwide fame in 2004,
after the release of another book by the famous American nutritionist Nicholas Perricon, who,
based on the findings of scientists, put acai in the first place in the list of products
that are indispensable for a long and healthy life.
The main value of the berry lies in the huge amount of antioxidant substances. The most
studied of these are ascorbic acid, carotenoids, tocopherols and flavonoids. In terms of their
content, acai significantly surpasses the well-known leaders such as pomegranate, blueberry,
garlic and cranberry. Recall that it is antioxidants that prevent oxidative reactions in the cells
of the body, leading to DNA damage and accelerated aging.
In addition to antioxidants, acai also contain about 3000 components, the combination of
which turns each berry into a real “vitamin pill”.
In our video, we will tell you how this South American palm tree is grown and such valuable
berries are harvested. From August to December, the acai palm grows
and ripens in clusters of 700-900 cherry-sized fruits.
Acai fruits collected for sale are a good source of income for local residents. In addition,
the berries are widely used as food by indigenous peoples. The acai berry picking process is
not easy and challenging. First of all, this is due to the difficult conditions of the
jungle. Beginning in July, the small, round fruits, collected on the broom-shaped inflorescences
at the top of each acai stem, begin to turn more purple. By August, the acai harvest season
is in full swing. At this time, a group of local berry pickers
travel to remote places through the jungle, crossing rivers and swamps, clearing places
to get to the palm tree. The task of the pickers is to climb the acai palm and pick the panicles
with the cherished fruits. I must say that this work is difficult and dangerous. But
the income generated justifies the risks. After all, acai palm berries are becoming
more and more popular not only in South America, but also in other countries of the world because
of their benefits to human health. In the market for a basket of berries you can get
7 dollars. By standing on the ground under a tree, pickers
can accurately determine whether a particular bunch high on a palm tree has reached optimum
ripeness. This is a critical moment for determining the quality of the berries. Fruit with a greenish
tinge will not work. To ensure high quality and good taste when boiled, acai should be,
according to pickers, truly black when harvested. Even more highly valued are fruits whose color
ranges from glossy purple-black to ashy "bloom" on the peel.
The best time to harvest is early in the morning. In high season, it is difficult to find someone
at home in the morning hours. All able-bodied family members go to the jungle to help with
the harvest. Some climb the palms, while others wait below to pluck the fruits from the bunches
and put them in baskets. Families emerge from the forest around ten or eleven o'clock in
the morning, with branches in their hair and purple spots on their hands from cut fruits.
Harvesting early has a twofold motivation. First, acai fruits have a higher moisture
content in the morning before the sun reaches full strength, which improves the quality.
Secondly, after about ten in the morning, the stems of the palm are so hot that a person
harvesting at the top of the tree risks burning their bare feet from friction when descending.
To get to the berries, you need to climb the trunk of a palm tree to a height of twelve
to twenty meters. The ability to climb a palm tree has been passed down from generation
to generation. The trunk is not very thick, about 14 cm in diameter and the collector
needs to have strong arms and legs and also not be afraid of heights in order to climb
up each time with the next panicle. The palms, besides being very tall, are also
absolutely “naked”, that is, there is not a single protrusion on the trunk, not
a single knot, which one could catch with our feet.
Therefore, the local population came up with a special device that is attached to their
legs, so that the top of the palm tree can be more or less easily reached.
To do this, they weave straps from the fibers of smaller palms and make loops for the feet
from them. Rope is often used. Firmly pressing the feet to the trunk, the person holds onto
the trunk with his hands and climbs along it, as if along a rope. This is how he gets
to the top. To tear off one panicle, you need to climb
to a height, and then carefully descend with it, you cannot throw it down - the acai berries
are very tender and will immediately deteriorate from the blow. After removing from the tree,
the berries are carefully removed from the panicle into a basket. Berry picking is very
risky. It happens that people fall and remain disabled for the rest of their lives.
When Brazilian men remove the fruit stems from a palm tree, the women peel them and
then prepare acai juice. Locals use acai juice as a gravy in various
dishes. To do this, they, together with the guests, gather at the same table to taste
acai. Once harvested, the acai berries are sent
to the riverbank. Here pickers load wicker baskets filled with acai fruit onto boats.
These handmade baskets are the standard shipping container and trade item for the Acai on the
rivers. Their contents weigh approximately fourteen kilograms. Boats filled with acai
fruits flock to local markets.
The acai berry trade in the market starts at night. Acai fruit is a perishable commodity.
At room temperature, the acai pulp will ferment in less than a day, due to the high content
of lipids in the composition. Therefore, the berries must be sold as soon as possible.
And the trade is going quite briskly. This seller claims that from three in the morning
until seven in the morning, he managed to sell a car of berries.
In order to increase the production of berries, local farmers have learned how to successfully
grow acai palms on the plantations. Acai palms grow in subtropical climates, so they are
resistant to temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius and above. Given that the tree can grow to
very great heights, some growers choose to cut the main tree and keep the smaller ones.
Palm trees love soil with a lot of organic matter, rich in acids such as peat, moss,
and needles. Make sure the soil drains well, as trees do not do well if their roots are
damp. The quality of the seedlings is very important
for planting a palm tree. Therefore, the nursery material is taken from strong and healthy
trees. In order for the seedlings to grow quickly and remain green, they will need a
lot of shade and slightly acidic soil. Saplings grown over the years from seedlings are transplanted
into the field. A young acai palm is placed in a planting
hole and covered with an additional mixture of soil and compost. Strengthen the soil with
your foot and then hose well with a slow flow of water for about one hour directed at the
root of the plant. It can take from 3 to 5 years before the beginning of fruiting. Pollination
is extremely important for the plant. Therefore, farmers place an apiary with bees not far
from palm plantings. Bees perfectly pollinate plants.
After four years, farmers start harvesting. Workers remove ripe clusters of berries using
special long poles that allow them to pick the bunches at a height. With the help of
mechanical drums, the berries are cleaned of branches and placed in boxes. The boxes
hold 530 kilograms of fruit. They remain in the shadows for a while, until trucks arrive
for them. Machines deliver acai berries at night to the processing plant for further
processing. Some of the berries are delivered to the factory
by farmers by the river. After the filled baskets have been weighed and passed quality
control, they are unloaded and poured into a common bin for preliminary cleaning.
The berries are placed on a conveyor belt, where they are tested again before being placed
in water for easier separation of the pulp from the bone. At the same time, samples are
taken from each batch for laboratory tests and obtaining accurate data on the nutrient
and microbiological properties of the product. Then the acai pulp is separated from the stone
and immediately pasteurized in accordance with all requirements of health standards.
The berries are processed to a purple pulp, which is the final product. The finished acai
pulp is packed in bags of 100 grams or more, based on the customer's requirements. And
for business consumers such as ice cream makers, smoothies and health food stores, restaurants,
products are sold in 18kg buckets or 170kg barrels.
Acai berries can be processed in two ways to prepare them for storage and shipping.
The first way is freezing. It is quite common, but it has a number of disadvantages, since
stabilizers and preservatives are often used to preserve the product in this form, and
when defrosting, the pulp of the berry gets into the water, which negatively affects its
properties. Another method is innovative, which is called
the "sublimation method". Technologically, it begins with deep freezing, which is then
replaced by the so-called lyophilization - in special vacuum dryers, moisture freezes, which
makes the product almost weightless without losing its natural taste, and its moisture
content does not exceed 8%. According to nutritionists, freeze-dried foods are ideally absorbed by
the body. Surprisingly, acai juice is not fermented;
alas, it will not work to make wine from it. However, a huge number of non-alcoholic drinks
are prepared from it. One way to prepare it is to mix the juice with cassava starch and
sugar. This drink is characterized by a nutty flavor and a thick, slightly oily texture.
In addition to acai drinks, premium sweets and a variety of desserts are made, including
sherbets, ice creams with other fruit fillings such as bananas, and canned fruit.
Brazilians love the thick frozen pasta, which is similar in consistency to ice cream. Typically,
this dish, called acai na tijela or acai in a bowl, is supplemented with guarana syrup
and sugar. The delicacy can be sprinkled with nuts or muesli on top. A mixture of two outstanding
components of the Amazon rich in vitamins and stimulants with sugar, creates a powerful
energy tonic. Calling it a dessert is not entirely correct, since such a dessert replaces
the effect of a full meal. However, most Brazilians are obsessed with
the acai bowl dish. This dish is similar to "acai na tijela", as its
main component is the same acai berries. An acai bowl is essentially a large deep plate
of thick smoothie garnished with complementary foods. Oatmeal, plant-based milk, seeds or
nuts, fruits and the acai berries themselves are the main ingredients of this dish. Moreover,
acai can be used both fresh and in
the form of puree or powder. This dish is also in demand in European countries.
Since it is a perishable product, berries from Brazil to other countries are usually
imported in the form of frozen puree. In Russia, it is the acai powder that is most often used,
which gives the whole dish a lilac-purple color.
In hot weather, such a breakfast or a snack during the day is an ideal dish.