In this new series, we’re going to discuss different types of fruit that are native to Brazil.

The cupuaçu fruit is native to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, and is a cousin of the cacau plant. Indigenous peoples of the Amazon have eaten the fruit for generations, and its juice has been used to induce labor and to help abdominal pain.

The large, brown fruit grows from dark red flowers on the branches of the tree, and when ripe, develops a hard, brown shell with a soft, gooey interior. The fruit can grow up to 25 centimeters long

It is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, mousse, jelly, and filling for chocolates. The bombom de cupuaçu is a popular chocolate treat sold throughout Brazil

The cupuaçu was at the heart of the biopiracy debate in 2004 when the Brazilian government and Brazilian non-profit organizations forbid the Japanese company Asahi from owning the patent for the name “cupuaçu” in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.