Today we’re going to look at the acerola fruit, native to northern Brazil, Central America, and the Antilles.

Also known as the “Antilles cherry” and the “barbarian’s cherry,” this fruit does in fact resemble the North American cherry, and grows on trees that can reach up to 3 meters high. The tree produces pinkish-white flowers, which then in turn produce acerola fruit. The trees grow best in tropical climates but also can be found semi-arid climates.

Acerola production has grown considerably in the last two decades in Brazil, particularly in the Northeast, where acerola is cultivated to make a frozen pulp to be sold around the country. There are forty two varieties grown in Brazil, the most well-known being cabocla, cereja, and sertaneja, among others.

The fruit itself tastes a bit acidic and has an apple-like taste, and is usually eaten as a juice or smoothie. This fruit is extremely healthy: it has high levels of vitamins A and B, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C. In fact, acerola can have up to 5,000 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of juice–around three times that of an orange.