Taste the Tropics: 15 Brazilian Fruits You Can’t Miss
Brazil is a country rich in tropical and subtropical habitats, including a significant portion of the Amazon Rainforest. Its fertile soil nurtures a vast variety of fruits, cherished and consumed daily by Brazilians, who may not fully realize the privilege of enjoying a fresh açaí bowl, a cold cupuaçu juice, or jabuticaba picked straight from the tree.
Brazilians not only have the opportunity to enjoy indigenous fruits but also a wide array of non-native varieties that have thrived in Brazil’s favorable climate and fertile soil. Cultivated for centuries, these fruits have developed unique Brazilian flavors. Any tourist who misses the chance to indulge in the diverse fruits this land offers is truly missing out.
Let’s round-up some of the most delicious and popular Brazilian fruits.
1. Cupuaçu
Cupuaçu, a staple for many indigenous tribes both past and present, is an exceptionally sour fruit native to the Amazon. Its intense flavor makes it difficult to eat raw.
However, the good news is that cupuaçu’s tartness pairs beautifully with sweet recipes, transforming this nearly inedible fruit into a highly sought-after ingredient, now widely exported from northern Brazil.
The most common recipe featuring this exotic Brazilian fruit is mousse de cupuaçu, served ice-cold as a white-colored cream with an unforgettable bittersweet flavor. The mousse is also frequently mixed with the popular açaí, creating an extremely calorific but refreshing and tasty snack.
Cupuaçu can also be used to make a delicious juice, jelly and cupuaçu-flavored candy. They all share the characteristic bittersweet flavor of this amazing fruit.
Unfortunately, it’s still very hard to get your hands on this fruit outside of Brazil, so enjoy it while you are there.
2. Açai
Another Brazilian fruit that can’t be eaten raw, açaí has a strong earthy flavor and is typically served as a cream in a cup. It’s common to add granola, banana, sweetened milk, or guaraná powder, though some people prefer to enjoy it plain.
Over the last few decades, the açai has gone from a niche snack mostly eaten by Brazilians in the north of the country to one of the most popular staples throughout the entire country. Other countries are beginning to realize the amazing gift of nature that is the açai. The US in particular has become one of the main Brazilian açai export markets, as well as Australia and Japan.
Açaí is very high in calories and is usually consumed after high-intensity activity or exercise. Not only does it refresh and energize the body, but it also has a unique taste that is loved by many and can’t be found anywhere else in the world beyond the Amazon region of South America.
3. Pineapple (Abacaxi)
The pineapple is native to South America and highly popular in Brazil, where it’s known as “ananás”. The succulent fruit is hidden inside fibrous thorns with a crown of leaves on top, which can be used to grow another pineapple and from which it’s nickname, “King of Fruits”, came.
This large fruit contains a mix of both acidic and sweet flavors, and its flesh is widely consumed fresh or used to make a refreshing juice. In addition to the flesh, the peel and core can also be used for making juice or processed foods like candy, jelly and jams.
4. Mulberry (Amora)
Although native to Asia, the mulberry has become a very popular fruit throughout Brazil. With its sweet and slightly acidic taste, it is by far the most popular berry in the country, and is highly nutritious.
Each mulberry resembles a miniature bunch of grapes and its reddish, wine color is quite distinctive. It is mostly consumed raw, but its leaves can be used in teas, and in Brazil you can also find mulberry flour. This fruit works well in jams, juices, sweets, ice creams, wines, and liqueurs. As well as its nutritional properties, it is also valued for medicinal uses.
Mulberry plants are very resilient, capable of growing and fruiting in various types of soil and climates, although they do prefer a tropical climate, which is why they thrive so well in Brazilian soil. It is a very common tree in large parts of Brazil and all children raised in the country will have at least one memory of climbing a mulberry tree to harvest the candy-like fruit.
The mulberry is not only a garden tree. The vast hectares of mulberry plantations produce tons of luscious mulberries but they also produce the high-quality leaves that silkworms must feast on to produce silk.
5. Banana
Although bananas are not native to Brazil (they originally come from Southeast Asia), they have thrived in the country’s tropical and subtropical climates. Brazil’s warm temperatures, abundant rainfall, and fertile soils create ideal conditions for banana cultivation. As a result, Brazil is one of the world’s largest banana producers, with the fruit being widely grown across various regions, particularly in the Northeast, Southeast, and South of the country.
Bananas are very versatile and Brazilian enjoy them fresh, cooked, fried, dehydrated, or baked. In the north of Brazil, many people add bananas to their plate of rice, beans and meat as a lunchtime salad! It is also one of the cheaper fruits due to its ease of storage—it can last months if stored properly at room temperature—and it is extremely rich in nutrients, especially potassium.
6. Guava (Goiaba)
The guava is a sweet and delicious fruit cultivated in tropical climates and native to Latin America. It is a round fruit which is light green or yellow when ripe and has a red or white pulp. It is one of the most commonly eaten fruits in Brazil and can be enjoyed on its own, in salads or can be turned into a flavorful juice and used as an ingredient to many sweets and desserts.
In the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, there’s a dessert made from guava paste paired with the local Minas cheese. This combination is so well-loved that it’s known as “Romeo and Juliet.”
7. Soursop (Graviola)
Soursop is an exotic fruit native to the Amazon rainforest. It has a green, spiny skin and a white, juicy, aromatic pulp that is sweet and slightly acidic. This tropical fruit has a unique flavor and is very dense. It can grow up to 30 cm (12 inches in length) and can weigh up to 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs). It can be consumed fresh or used to prepare juices, ice creams, mousses, and other desserts.
The various parts of the soursop can be used as a natural medicine due to its nutritional and therapeutic properties. The leaves, for instance, are known for being used to prepare teas with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The seeds, on the other hand, are used as an antiparasitic.
8. Jabuticaba
Jabuticaba is the berry of the jabuticabeira, a tree native to Brazil. The fruit is small, round, typically with a purple skin and white pulp, although the skin color can vary. It is most delicious and said to be the authentic taste of the Brazilian cerrado—a tropical savanna in the east of the country.
It is both sweet and sour with a hint of tannin flavor, making it impossible to eat just one! Besides being consumed fresh, jabuticaba can be used to make vinegar, liqueur, juice, wine, ice cream, syrup, jam, and beer, among other products.
So fond are Brazilians of their jabuticaba that people with dark, shiny eyes are said to have “jabuticaba eyes”. The name jabuticaba originates from the indigenous Tupi word “iawotikáwa,” which means “button fruit.”
The jabuticabeira is a curious tree. Reaching up to 15 meters tall, the fruits clings to its trunk! During the fruit-bearing season, a jabuticabeira can have so many fruits all over its that you can’t see the trunk or branches, only the thousands of dark berries. This, of course, makes it easy for small children to gather the berries, which may be why they are so popular.
9. Jenipapo
Native to Central and South America, the jenipapo resembles a fig, measuring up to 10 cm (4 inches) in length and 7 cm (~3 inches) in diameter. Its aromatic pulp is dark yellow and has an acidic flavor.
It’s strong taste makes it unpopular for consuming fresh. Instead it is mostly used to make jams, sweets, syrups, beverages, soft drinks, and liqueurs. Jenipapo is also used in home medicine as a fortifier and appetite stimulant and is traditionally employed to treat anemia and diseases of the spleen and liver.
The word “jenipapo” comes from the Tupi-Guarani language meaning “fruit that serves for painting”. The green fruit produces a dark bluish juice that can be used to dye fabrics, ceramics, and for tattoos and, in fact, the indigenous people have used it for millennia for tattoos, body painting, and other applications.
10. Mango (Manga)
Mangoes hold a significant place in Brazilian cuisine and culture, so much so that many Brazilians might be very surprised to learn that the mango tree is not native to the region (it originally comes from Asia).
Mango trees thrive in Brazil, and the country boasts a wide variety of mangoes with distinct flavors, sizes, and colors. Popular varieties include ‘Tommy Atkins,’ ‘Haden,’ and ‘Palmer,’ with each region having its favorites. Most varieties can be enjoyed fresh, blended into flavorful juices and smoothies, or used in desserts such as mousses and puddings.”
Mangoes are more than just a delicious fruit in Brazil; they are integral to the country’s agricultural economy and cultural identity. Mango trees are widespread throughout the country, and during harvest season, fallen mangoes often create a significant slip hazard on the ground!
11. Urucum
Although urucum is not an edible fruit, it holds great cultural significance for many Brazilians, making it a noteworthy inclusion on any list of important Brazilian fruits.
Crushed urucum seeds produce a natural bright red pigment used for centuries by a myriad of indigenous communities in rituals, body painting, and local art. Additionally, urucum seeds can be used as a food coloring, imparting a slightly peppery flavor.
12. Watermelon (Melancia)
Originally a wild fruit from Africa, it has been cultivated in Brazil for hundreds of years. It was introduced to the Americas in the 16th century and quickly became popular. It is an ideal crop for the northeastern and central regions of Brazil, with significant production in states such as Bahia, Pernambuco, and Goiás.
In Brazil, watermelon it is a popular ingredient in traditional Brazilian dishes, such as “salada de frutas” (fruit salad) and as an ingredient in refreshing drinks during hot summers. Some have started a trend grilling watermelons on a barbecue, but it’s an acquired taste.
13. Surinam Cherry (Pitanga)
The pitanga tree is found in the Atlantic forest habitat of Brazil. It has a beautiful foliage, flowers and multi-colored fruits that make it highly ornamental. Unfortunately, over 90% of the habitat in which it grows has been destroyed, but, fortunately, great efforts have been made to maintain what is left of this beautiful landscape. Also, fortunately, the pitanga tree adapts well and can be found in most regions of the country.
The fruit is known for its sweet and slightly tart flavor. Besides eating it straight from the branches, the pitanga is used in jams, jellies, and beverages. It is not usually sold in markets as the small, delicate berries deteriorate quickly and don’t stand up to transportation.
14. Pitomba
The pitomba is a berry native to Brazil. It is tiny and round, with a smooth, yellowish-orange skin protecting a juicy, translucent pulp inside. Pitomba is often eaten fresh or added to fruit salads, smoothies, and desserts. It can also be made into juices or used as a flavoring for various dishes.
While not as widely known as some other fruits, pitomba is appreciated in local communities for its unique flavor and is used in traditional medicine for its health benefits, with its high vitamin C, iron and calcium content.
15 Orange (Laranja)
Oranges, known as laranja in Portuguese, are one of the most popular and widely consumed fruits in Brazil. While not native to the country, Brazil produces and also consumes a huge amount of oranges and certainly contributes to the massive popularity of the fruit worldwide.
Often eaten or juiced for breakfast, the popular orange is rich in sugar and is tasty and refreshing—a glass of orange juice is a great pick-me-up when feeling weary. Oranges are also used in various recipes such as breads and cakes, stamping them with its particular citrus flavor.
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