The Old Amazonian Fable of Acai

The Amazon basin covers 7% of the Earth’s surface spans nine countries, and is a home to half of the planet’s biodiversity, including an estimated 5,000 species of trees. Many of these trees bear fruits which most international markets have in the past been unable to access due to logistics and transportation issues, however, this has changed with the introduction of technology such as freeze drying and cold chain processing. The Acai Berry has been consumed by the local population for thousands of years being harvested from the Acai Palm tree which is native to tropical Central and South America, from Belize south to Brazil and Peru, growing mainly in floodplains and swamps. The Fable spans a few hundred years and concerns a village on the edges of the Para river (Para State, Brazil). The village population was growing rapidly causing a food shortage, resulting in the leader of the village decreeing that the people could not have any more children and that any newborn children would have to be sacrificed. Unfortunately, at the time of this decree, Iaca, the daughter of the village leader, became pregnant, and although she prayed to show her father a food that could save the tribe, nothing happened. Soon after Iaca gave birth to a girl, who as decreed, was sacrificed. Iaca was devastated, and without food or water locked herself in her hut where she cried day and night. One night, she heard the crying of her daughter in the forest. She managed to sum up her remaining energy and leave her hut to try and locate the sound. Finally after much searching, she saw her daughter at the side of a slender palm tree, however, when she tried to embrace the child, the child disappeared. The following day, the other members of the village found Iaca dead, her eyes open and staring up to the many bunches of dark purple fruits on th slender palm tree that she was embracing. As a result, the fruits of this tree were harvested and the juice extracted to obtain a reddish wine, that soon became the diet for the tribe. The village leader named the fruit Acai (Iaca inverted) in the memory of his daughter, the prohibition was removed and the tribe prospered. This article was written by John Jarmola, a Consultant Food Technologist who specialises in the development of new food products. To try Acai Juice click Acai Juice Link and or to increase your knowledge visit: http://acaijuicereview.com   Read an unbiased review on an acai berry product.