Guapeva do cerrado

What it is

Guapeva do cerrado is Pouteria gardneriana, a fruit in the Sapotaceae family, also called aguai. Its outline ranges from egg-shaped to pear-shaped, and it turns orange or yellow when ripe. The flesh is sweet and eaten fresh. Inside sit one or two seeds, each about 2 cm (0.8 in) long.

Where it comes from

The tree is native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. In Brazil it has been recorded in Bahia, Piauí, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul. Its habitats include the Caatinga, southern grasslands and Atlantic Forest. In Tocantins, ripe fruit has also been gathered in the Cerrado around Palmas.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Bahia, the fruit is made into an edible flour. The pulp also makes jam. A guapeva jam worked out in Palmas, Tocantins, starts with ripe fruit, its pulp separated by hand from the peel and seeds. The pulp cooks with sugar and passionfruit rind in an open pan, with citric acid added at the end.

The passionfruit contributes its white inner rind, which helps the jam set, so it takes the place of commercial pectin in this recipe. The guapeva supplies the fruit pulp; the passionfruit rind supplies the thickener.

How it's grown

Guapeva do cerrado grows into a tree usually 10–15 m (33–49 ft) tall, with leathery, glossy leaves. Its greenish, scented flowers grow in small groups of five to fifteen. It suits tropical and subtropical climates.

New trees are grown from seed. Full sun, moderate watering and fertile loam that drains well suit it in cultivation.