Lucuma Powder

Lucuma powder is a dried, milled version of lucuma fruit. Cultivated in the Andean region of South America, the fresh fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and commonly used in the foods of Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The light brown powder is an alternative sweetener. Touted as a “superfood” and can be added as-is to beverages, smoothies, desserts, and soups.

It has a hard, green outer shell and soft, yellow flesh with a dry texture and sweet flavor that’s often likened to a mix of sweet potato and butterscotch.  The fruit is about three inches long with an oval, curved shape similar to an egg, which also gave it its English name, eggfruit. The flesh is yellow to orange depending on the variety, and as it matures, the flesh becomes softer. The pulp of lucuma is orange with a distinctive, sweet aroma reminiscent of maple syrup. Only the flesh is eaten, the skin and large seeds are discarded.

Nicknamed the “gold of the Incas,” lucuma has been used as a traditional remedy in South America for centuries. It is often paired with fruits such as bananas, lemon, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries, as well as chocolate, caramel, dulce de leche, cinnamon, vanilla, as well as almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and peanuts.

The stevia herb is one of the best-known alternative sweeteners, available in liquid and powder forms. Unlike lucuma powder, stevia has no glycemic impact and is free from calories and carbohydrates. Stevia’s taste can be off-putting to some because, while it is sweet, some stevia leaves a bitter or metallic aftertaste. Lucuma powder generally doesn’t have that bitterness.

Lucuma can be eaten raw but is most commonly found in a dried, powdered supplement form that’s often used as a natural sweetener.

One tablespoon of lucuma powder provides:

• Calories: 30
• Protein: 0 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbs: 6 grams
• Sugars: 1.5 grams
• Fiber: 2 grams

Lucuma contains less sugar but more nutrients than table sugar. More specifically, it has about half the carbs and 75% less sugar than the same amount of table sugar. One tablespoon of lucuma powder also provides some calcium, iron, potassium, niacin, and vitamin C  – though these amounts generally cover less than 1% of the Daily Value (DV). Still, it’s more nutritious than other popular sweeteners.

Lucuma powder also offers a good amount of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and prevents constipation by helping food move smoothly through your gut . Soluble fiber feeds your beneficial gut bacteria, which, in turn, produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These are then used as food by cells in your gut, keeping them healthy. These short-chain fats also protect against inflammation and improve symptoms of gut disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Lucuma contains a variety of antioxidants, which are powerful compounds that help protect your cells from damage caused by highly reactive molecules called free radicals. Research shows that lucuma is particularly rich in polyphenols and carotenoids, two groups of antioxidants known for their anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, and heart-health-promoting properties. It’s especially high in xanthophylls, a group of carotenoids responsible for lucuma’s yellow color that’s thought to promote eye health and good vision.

Despite being rich in carbs, lucuma may offer some protection against type 2 diabetes. In part, this may be because most of its carbs are complex. Carbs can be split into three categories:

• Sugars. These are short-chain types of carbs found in many foods. Examples include glucose, fructose, and lactose. They’re quickly digested and can lead to
  spikes in your blood sugar levels.
• Starches. These are longer chains of sugars that get broken down into sugars in your gut. They take longer to digest and are less likely to spike blood sugar
  levels drastically.
• Fiber. This is a type of nondigestible carb that’s broken down and used as food by beneficial gut bacteria. It helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.

Sugars are considered simple carbs, while starches and fiber are thought of as complex. Complex carbs, such as the starches and fiber making up most of the carbs in lucuma, have been shown to promote healthy blood sugar levels.

The soluble fiber in lucuma may protect against diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and preventing blood sugar spikes after a meal or snack. Test-tube research shows that the blood-sugar-lowering mechanisms of lucuma may be comparable to those of certain anti-diabetic drugs. It prevents the action of the alpha-glucosidase enzyme, which is responsible for breaking down complex carbs into simple sugars that tend to spike blood sugar levels.

Lucuma has a low glycemic index (GI), which means that it would raise blood sugar levels to a much lower extent than other sweeteners like pure sugar.

How to Buy

Lucuma can be found in fresh, frozen, or in pulp form in Latin grocery stores. The peak season of lucuma is in the summer but it is available year-round. If you can’t find frozen lucuma pulp, you might find lucuma powder at your local grocery store.

The powder is readily available online, and many natural and health food stores carry it. Generally sold in 1/2-pound or 1-pound bags. The powder is made by dehydrating the fruit, then milling it into a fine powder, a process designed to retain the fruit’s high nutritional value. It can be used right out of the package and stirred into food and drinks.

How to Store

Lucuma powder does not require refrigeration. After opening, keep unused product sealed in a zip-top storage bag or airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. Many brands include an expiration date on the package. Most lucuma powder has a shelf-life of two to three years when stored at or below room temperature.

How to Cook

Lucuma powder can be used as a substitute for sugar in pies, cakes, and other desserts or baked goods. Lucuma’s texture is comparable to granulated sugar, but its taste is more similar to that of brown sugar.

You can use a 1:2 ratio by volume to substitute brown sugar for lucuma. For instance, use 1 cup of lucuma for each 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Many people use lucuma powder as a sweetener in beverages, and it’s a common sweetener in commercial nut milks. It’s also used to sweeten smoothies – add two tablespoons to green or fruit smoothie recipes. It also works well in hot drinks, such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Use it to top yogurt or cereal, or add to overnight oatmeal or chia pudding.

Lucuma powder doesn’t hold water like sugar. For some recipes, add more of a liquid ingredient (1 tablespoon at a time) if the batter seems dry until it reaches the desired consistency.