English Name: Camu Camu Berry
Botanical Name: Myrciaria dubia
DESCRIPTION: A little berry from the Amazon region the berry looks like a small plum-like red-purple fruit and have a whitish fleshy center.
ORIGIN: The Camu Camu berry is a commonly found fruit in South American rain forest. It can be called ‘cacari’ Berry. The shrub is found all the way from the North of Peru to the South of Brazil. The tree is heavily concentrated around the Amazon River.
The Camu Camu tree that produces the berry is rich in vitamin C and has been used for medicinal purposes by the Amazonian Indians for more than 700years. Folklore tails from the Indian tribes indicate that the fruit can help treat infections, decrease pain etc.
The berry was discovered in 1950s to have one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C of any known plant—based food.
NATURAL BENEFITS: The Camu Camu fruit is rich in vitamin C and contains 30 to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange and lemon. The Camu Camu Berry is also an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and various amino acids. Besides the vitamin and mineral content, the fruit is also rich in anthocyanins, amino acids, flavonoids and has a very strong antioxidant content.
USES: Camu Camu Berry is added to desserts, pies, ice cream, candy, beverages, sodas or water.
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