Camu-camu

What it is

Camu-camu, Myrciaria dubia, belongs to the myrtle family. Its round berries measure about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) across and turn reddish-purple to almost black. Inside, soft yellow pulp surrounds one to four flattened seeds. The pulp is acidic and very tart.

Where it comes from

Camu-camu grows naturally in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. In the Peruvian Amazon it is abundant along lakeshores and rivers, including the Napo, Nanay, Ucayali, Marañón and Tigre. Along rivers in seasonally flooded forest, it forms dense stands.

It is also a planted crop. In January 2022, the Indigenous community of Santa Cruz, in Peru’s Loreto region, received more than 10,000 plants of the INIA 395 Vitahuayo variety.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Iquitos, camu-camu goes into ice cream, sweets and drinks. For refresco de camu camu, the berries are crushed or blended with water, then strained; sugar and ice turn the sour juice into a cold drink.

In Lima, cook Lily Correa makes camu-camu jam with cinnamon and vanilla, serving it with fruit salad or crackers. Fresh fruit is sometimes eaten with salt in South America.

How it's grown

The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, branching heavily close to the ground. It grows best in hot, humid conditions, with wild stands occupying riverbanks that flood seasonally. Growers can graft it, joining a piece of one plant to another. Camu-camu can also share a planting with shorter-lived crops such as cowpeas, squash and cassava.

When and where you'll find it

On the dry uplands of the central Amazon, camu-camu usually fruits from December to April. Iquitos, Peru, has a growing market for the fruit and the drinks made from it, but whole berries keep for only a few days.

Frozen pulp travels to distant markets, where it mostly goes into drinks. Dried berries are also ground into a fine powder with a tart flavour.