Rising U.S. sales of acai, a purple Amazon berry promoted as a "superfood" on Oprah Winfrey's Web site, are depriving Brazilian jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they've relied on for generations. U.S. consumers are turning a "a typical poor people's food into something like a delicacy," said Oscar Nogueira, who specializes in the fruit at Embrapa, Brazil's agricultural research company.
"Our granddaughter is turning 3 and we're going to have family coming to our house," said Neves, 68, as she paid 20 reais ($9.40), or about 7 percent of her monthly household income, for 2 liters (2 quarts) of the thick mush at a local street market.
Acai grows on palm trees and looks like a blueberry. In the Amazon, it is beaten, diluted in water and eaten with manioc, meat, fish or dried shrimp.
The pulp provides more protein in relation to its weight than eggs and milk, and has high levels of anthocyanin, an antioxidant, as well as vitamins E and B1, potassium, iron and calcium, according to Embrapa.
The Para government recommends its consumption. The berry is popularly associated with bone and muscular strength, longevity and a healthy immune system, said Lucival Cardoso, the state's chief health inspector.
"We encourage families to give acai to children as young as 6 months," Cardoso said. "It's also very filling; that's why it's traditionally associated with low-income family diets."
"We are happy that people on the other side of the world are able to enjoy our acai, but we don't want to have to go without it," Neves said. "Why should we suffer so people who don't even know anything about the fruit can have their acai pills?"
