Acai Berries

Acai berries (ah-sigh-EE) are a Brazilian “superfruit.” The berries have been a staple food of people living near and around the Amazon River delta, from Brazil to Peru, for all of recorded history.

The acai berry is harvested from acai palm trees. It grows in big bunches of small, grape-like berries that look like beads hanging from the fronds. Each berry has a large pit that takes up 70 percent of the mass, which is removed before consuming.

Acai berries are 1-inch round and have a dark purple skin and yellow flesh.  Because they contain pits like apricots and olives, they’re technically not a berry, but rather a drupe. Nevertheless, they’re commonly referred to as berries.

To make them edible, they are soaked to soften the tough outer skin and then mashed to form a dark purple paste. They have an earthy taste that’s often described as a cross between blackberries and unsweetened chocolate.

Acai berries are rich in fatty acids, especially oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. Although acai berries contain very little total protein, they do contain 19 amino acids, as well as several sterols, including campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol. The phytochemicals in acai berries include mainly anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins.

100 grams of frozen fruit pulp has:

• Calories: 70
• Fat: 5 grams
• Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
• Carbs: 4 grams
• Sugar: 2 grams
• Fiber 2 grams
• Vitamin A: 15% of the RDI
• Calcium: 2% of the RDI

According to a Venezuelan study, acai berries also contain some other trace minerals, including chromium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

Acai’s most powerful health benefits come from the anthocyanins, which give acai berries their deep purple color and act as antioxidants in the body.  You can also find anthocyanins in other blue, black and purple foods, such as black beans and blueberries.

The many plant compounds in acai could also protect your brain from damage as you age. The antioxidants in acai counteract the damaging effects of inflammation and oxidation in brain cells, which can negatively affect memory and learning.

One of the ways in which the brain stays healthy is by cleaning up cells that are toxic or no longer working, a process known as autophagy. It makes way for new nerves to form, enhancing communication between brain cells. As you age, this process works less efficiently. However, in lab tests, acai extract has helped stimulate this “housekeeping” response in brain cells.

How to Buy

The açai berry grows exclusively in the Amazon River delta and in Trinidad and Tobago, so you’re not likely to find them fresh anywhere in the United States. Acai berries are shipped frozen or powdered.

If you’re buying it as a pre-processed pulp, check the ingredient label and make sure it doesn’t have added ingredients.

How to Store

Keep packs of frozen açai in the freezer until ready to use. Avoid re-freezing, as this will make them mushy and can deplete some of the nutrients. Powdered açai will keep for up to a year in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Make sure to check the expiration dates on açai products, as the berry is highly perishable.

How to Cook

Because açai spoils so quickly, it’s almost exclusively frozen or powdered.

Unlike most other berries, there’s not much sweetness. Instead, açaí berries are a bit tart  and earthy.  The high acidity of the berry marries well with other, sweeter fruits and flavors, and many recipes using açai also call for maple syrup or other sweeteners.

Açai bowls are delicious: a thick base of pureed banana, frozen açai, and berries topped with granola, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.