Gabiroba do campo

What it is

This gabiroba is Campomanesia pubescens, also called guabiroba felpuda. Its rounded berries are about 2 cm (0.8 in) across, with thin skin and greenish pulp around one to four seeds. The flesh is juicy and tart as well as sweet.

As the fruit develops, its acidity falls; ripe flesh is softer. Yellow peel is part of the ripe stage, along with the change in texture.

Where it comes from

Gabiroba do campo grows in the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna, including the country’s southeastern and central-western regions. The fruit is sometimes gathered from the wild and eaten locally. Near Santana do Garambéu in Minas Gerais, it grows in the native Cerrado pasture at Fazenda Bela Vista.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Brazil, people eat the juicy pulp fresh. It also goes into juices, soft drinks, sweets, puddings and shakes, and is used to make liqueurs, or simply steeped in spirits. The berries can be made into jellies and ice creams, too.

How it's grown

The shrub sheds its leaves and stays low, from about 30 cm (1 ft) to 2 m (6.5 ft) tall. In cultivation it grows in full sun, on ground that drains freely. Its seeds lose their ability to sprout quickly, so seed freshness matters when raising a new plant.

Near Santana do Garambéu, flowering began in August and peaked in September in 2021. There, most fruit was ripe 63 days after its flowers opened.