Y: Hey, Don, if you were to harvest pomegranates, how would you do it?
D: Well, I’d pick them from a tree, just like an apple.
Y: And if you wanted to get some blueberries, what would you do?
D: I’d go pick them from a blueberry bush.
Y: Now, how would you go about getting a jabuticaba?
D: Huh, I don’t know—I’ve never heard of that!
Y: Jabuticaba is a fruit native to Brazil. It’s the size and color of a plum, with a white pulp and several seeds. It only stays fresh for a few days, which is why it’s not usually brought to the US. But if you wanted to go get your own jabuticaba, I’ll tell you how you’d do it: you’d go to the tree and pick it straight from the trunk itself!
D: The fruit grows directly on the bark of the tree’s trunk and branches? I’m imagining clumps of plums glued onto a tree! That seems unusual.
Y: That’s exactly what it looks like! And it might seem unusual to us, but the fruit is common in Brazil. It’s often sold fresh at markets. It’s also known for its health benefits and sometimes gets called a “super fruit.”
D: Oh, I see! Sweet, dark-skinned super fruits have plenty of antioxidants and nutrients, especially in their peels. So, like pomegranates or blueberries, the jabuticaba could also be good at preventing heart disease, or even cancer.
Y: It can definitely be a healthy part of one’s diet. And in Brazil, it’s certainly a popular fruit: though its shelf life is short, the jabuticaba is often made into jam, jelly, ice cream, wine, and liqueur.
