Buriti

What it is

A buriti is about 5 by 4 cm (2 by 1.6 in), with overlapping scales covering its skin. Underneath is a thin layer of yellow-orange pulp around a seed. The pulp is fleshy and oily.

Processing starts by soaking the fruit in clean water to soften it. Once the skin comes off, the edible pulp can be scraped away with a spoon.

Where it comes from

Buriti grows across northern South America, from Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. The same palm is called aguaje in Peru and morete in Ecuador. In Brazil’s Cerrado, it grows in veredas: wetland strips where the ground stays soaked even through the dry season.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Brazil, sorvete de buriti blends the pulp with milk and sugar. After its first spell in the freezer, it is beaten again for a creamier texture, then frozen once more.

Doce de buriti takes a different route. A recipe from the Sertão Veredas cooperative uses equal platefuls of fresh buriti pulp and sugar. The mixture is stirred over heat until it pulls away from the pan, then spread in a tray and cut into pieces. The same orange pulp becomes either a frozen spoonful or a sweet you can pick up.

How it's grown

The palm can reach 30 m (98 ft) tall. Male and female flowers grow on separate palms: males produce flower clusters but no fruit, while females need their pollen to set a crop. Ripe buriti can be collected from the ground after it drops naturally, bringing a fruit grown high overhead within reach of the collector.

When and where you'll find it

In the Brazilian Cerrado, buriti usually ripens from September to February. Around Mâncio Lima in Acre, collection usually runs from September through March. Pulp, oil and sweets made from the fruit turn up at fairs, especially in northern and central-western Brazil.