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The acai palm, Euterpe oleracea, is a species of palm tree in the family Arecaceae. It is cultivated for its fruit, hearts of palm, leaves and trunk wood. The species is native to eastern Amazonia, especially in Brazil, mainly in swamps and floodplains. The fruit is a small, round, black-purple drupe about 25 mm in circumference, similar in appearance to a grape but smaller and with less pulp.

Origin and Production

Brazil supplies 99% of global acai berries, producing 1.7 million tons in 2024. Colombia (0.35%) and Bolivia (0.006%) are other producers. There are two harvests: one is normally between January and June, while the other is between August and December, producing larger volumes. The palm bears fruit year round but the berry cannot be harvested during the rainy season. Fruit yields greatly decrease in amount and quality if the plants are shaded.

Chemistry and Scent Profile

Anthocyanins define the blue pigmentation of acai. Extracts of Euterpe oleracea contain the flavonoid quercetin and anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside. The oil of the fruit consists mainly of fatty acids, whose major constituent is oleic acid (47.58%), followed by palmitic (24.06%) and linoleic (13.58%) acids. Fifty-one volatile compounds were identified in one extract of acai berry and 54 in another. Alcohols are important volatile compounds in acai berry, and the major volatile compounds are 2-phenylethanol, (Z)-3-hexenol and benzyl alcohol.

Uses

The fruit is processed into pulp for supply to food product manufacturers or retailers, and is sold as frozen pulp, juice, or an ingredient in beverages, smoothies, foods, cosmetics and supplements. Açaí na tigela (known in English as açaí bowl) is a Brazilian dessert made from frozen açaí berry purée, served in a bowl and topped with other fruit and granola.