Brazil is a huge country spanning a wide range of distinct climates and environments, which means all sorts of plants have flourished here for millennia. The biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest in particular is astonishing, and there are still new species being discovered every year. It’s no surprise that the land is teeming with exotic fruits, many of which are edible and can be made into something delicious.
The kicker: most of these fruits can only be found in the Amazon basin or throughout Brazil. They often don’t ripen once picked, or they go bad extremely quickly, or they simply can’t be shipped, so there’s no way for anyone else in the world to enjoy them.
That said, some of them can be processed or shipped, and we happily bring those with us to our restaurants when we can. Let’s talk about some of the most distinct, unique, and incredible fruits to be found in Brazil!
Table of Contents
Papaya
Papaya is native to Central America and has spread south to Brazil, where it quickly became one of our favorite tropical fruits. It’s sweet and juicy, almost melon-like, with a bit of musk to it, and it’s one of the fruits that can be found elsewhere in the world because it ships pretty well. That said, nothing beats one fresh from the source, so if all you’ve had are processed or dried papaya treats, give a fresh papaya a try-a.
In Brazil, we use papaya for a variety of desserts, including a Papaya Cream dessert that we offer on the Texas de Brazil dessert menu.
Passionfruit
Another of the most common and well-traveled tropical fruits, passionfruit is small and dark purple, sort of like a plum on the outside. When you cut into it, it’s a jelly-like mass of pulp and seeds with a delicious citrus kick with hints of melon, kiwi, or pineapple.
It’s also a common feature in desserts, and we love a good passionfruit mousse, another fixture of the Texas de Brazil dessert menu.
Acai
Acai is one of the fastest-trending superfruits in the world.
It grows throughout Central and South America on palm trees, where it can be found in huge grape-like clusters right under the fronts. The berry is tart and tangy with a sweetness not altogether unlike blueberries.
Acerola
Also known as the Barbados cherry or the Brazilian cherry, the acerola is a small, bright red, cherry-like fruit found on shrubs throughout Central and South America. It’s tart and a little astringent, with a bit of an apple-like crispness to it, making it a tasty berry to enjoy.
Pitanga is another similar fruit. It’s about the same size and has the same cherry-like form factor and pit inside, but it has more of a ridged outer shape reminiscent of a pepper. The flavor is similar as well, which is why it’s also known as the Surinam cherry.
Caja
Not to be confused with caju, caja is also known as tapereba. It’s a fairly small fruit, ranging in size between a cherry tomato and a lime, with yellow skin and large seeds inside.
It’s sweet and sour and is a common ingredient in cocktails. In fact, the frozen pulp and juice are an occasional export and are growing in use amongst gastronomic experimenters.
Caju
Caju is a unique fruit attached to something you’ve heard of before: the cashew nut.
Cashew nuts actually grow from a larger fruit known as the cashew apple, or caju, which is itself mostly edible. It’s not often enjoyed on its own, but it’s part of a beloved and exotic cocktail called the Caju Amigo, which we wrote about over here.
Guava
Guava is another of the more commonly-exported fruits of Brazil, and is a common addition to any tropical fruit spread. They’re often described as a sort of a cross between strawberries and pears.
Sometimes, under-ripe guavas are eaten with a sprinkling of sugar, salt, and chili to accentuate a more subtle floral flavor.
Cupuacu
Cupuacu is a large, brown fruit that sort of looks like a cross between a melon and a coconut. It’s actually related to cacao and has a thick shell with a creamy white pulp underneath it.
Oddly, it’s described as being both tart and sweet and is commonly used in desserts and sweets throughout the Amazon region. In some cases, you can find cupuacu-infused chocolates in stores, which are quite unique.
Pitomba
Pitomba grows on trees and looks almost like small potatoes or large nuts growing in clusters off of thin branches. When the skin is cracked open, a sweet, juicy pulp surrounding a single large seed can be found inside, sort of like a stone fruit.
It’s sweet, sour, and tropical, like a combination of citrus and mango. It’s very seasonal and is usually eaten raw, though it can be found in jellies and the occasional dessert.
Genipapo
An average-sized fruit a little smaller than a tennis ball, the Genipapo or Jenipapo is a strange and not entirely pleasant fruit. When underripe, it’s nothing but bitter; when it ripens, it turns sour.
What’s truly interesting is that the otherwise blandly-colored fruit contains a compound that, when it oxidizes, turns a vibrant blue. This blue was used by native tribes to paint their skin, and is now used in the modern day as a colorant for food. For example, check out this bright blue bread colored with the fruit.
Mandacaru
One of a handful of related cactus species, Mandacaru (as well as Jamacaru) produce large red oval fruits with a white flesh speckled with black seeds, very similar in many respects to the dragon fruit.
In fact, it’s very similar in taste as well, with a subtle sweetness and sugary flavor that can be hard to pin down.
Guarana
Guarana is a very interesting tropical fruit from Brazil that you actually find all over the place in the United States, but not in a way you might recognize. The fruit itself has a reddish outer shell about the size of a cherry, which splits open as the fruit itself ripens. Inside is a white pith that also splits to reveal a black, blueberry-like interior, which is the tasty part of the fruit.
Flavor-wise, it’s actually not that tasty. It’s like a subtle banana, apple, and citrus mix, all with a deep astringent and bitter overtone that might remind you of an energy drink. In fact, that’s probably where you know it from! Guarana is high in natural caffeine, so it’s commonly found in energy drinks and “energy blends” that want to hide the fact that they have caffeine in them by listing the source of the caffeine instead.
In Brazil, we enjoy it as a fruit soft drink as well, where it’s processed to emphasize the delicious fruit notes and tone down the bitterness.
Graviola
Graviola, also known as soursop, is a small fruit around the size of an apple or pear with a spiny outer rind. It’s about as traditionally tropical in flavor as you can get, with hints of citrus, strawberry, pineapple, and apple, with a custardy texture that makes it extremely pleasant to enjoy on its own.
It’s also traditionally used as medicine, and has some potential even as a cancer treatment, though of course if that happens it will be refined into a medicine first.
Pequi
One of the most unique fruits on this list, the Pequi is a strange one. The green outer rind can be cut away to reveal three yellow-orange lobes, each of which has a core surrounded by seeds a lot like a kiwi fruit. Taste-wise, it’s very odd and is commonly described as a cross between a citrus and a hard cheese. While that might not sound appetizing, remember that fruit and cheese go very well together, and there’s a reason it’s a popular snack in southern and central Brazil.
There’s one major problem with Pequi, though, and that’s the danger inherent in eating it. See, those central seeds surrounding the core aren’t little pips or soft bits or even large seeds you can discard. They’re spikes, which can be quite painful to bite on unprepared. Eating it requires a specific technique, but if you can pull it off, it’s surprisingly tasty.
Buriti
Buriti is another exotic fruit that looks the part. The outer rind is textured, almost like lizard skin or something more fantastical, like a dragon’s egg. Inside is an orange flesh surrounding a large seed.
Despite the presentation, though, the flavor isn’t much; it’s a little sour and a little sweet, but nothing that stands out, especially compared to many of the other fruits on this list. That said, the juice is very tasty and refreshing, and the oil-rich flesh lends it a creamy texture that can be quite pleasant.
Siriguela
Another small, orange fruit, siriguela has a sweet and sour flavor that is somehow distinct from many of the other sweet and sour fruits on this list.
It’s commonly found both as a fresh fruit and as a marmalade. When you eat it fresh, you roll the fruit between your fingers to pop the flesh inside and release the juices, then eat the whole thing, skin and all. It’s an explosion of flavor and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Carambola
Carambola is another exotic fruit that you’ve probably seen before and probably even tasted before, though you probably know it under a different name. The common name for the carambola is based on the shape: it’s the starfruit.
It’s sweet and sour (stop us if you’ve heard that one before) with hints of grape, citrus, and apple, and with a mouth-filling tropical essence that makes it a star – if you excuse the pun.
Jabuticaba
Jabuticaba is a strange one. It’s a small grape-like berry that grows directly off the trunk and branches of its tree, which is very strange to see and almost looks fake.
The inside of the skin is a clear, gel-like interior similar to a grape, with a single large seed in the middle. Generally, you want to split the skin, suck out the flesh inside and enjoy that, and spit out the seed. The skin is technically edible, but it’s very high in tannins, so it’s quite bitter and not very enjoyable.
Cagaita
Native to the Cerrado region, Cagaita is a small, pale yellow fruit a little larger than a large grape, with a slightly flattened shape.
The flesh is surprisingly chewy and almost gum-like in consistency, and the flavor is sweet with a hint of acidity. It’s definitely an exotic flavor, but enjoy it with caution; in large amounts, it has a laxative effect.
Jackfruit
Jackfruit is one of those fruits that stands out when you see it. It’s extremely large – the largest tree fruit – and the knobbly outside texture isn’t necessarily appealing. The inside of the fruit can be eaten when it’s under-ripe or when it’s ripe.
When underripe, it’s near-flavorless and has a naturally stringy texture and a propensity to soak up flavors, making it a common substitute for shredded meats like pulled pork. Meanwhile, when ripe, the fruit is sweet and dense, similar to pineapple, and flavored almost like a combination of banana and mango. It’s worth trying at least twice, right?
Other Fruits Brazilians Love
There are, of course, plenty more fruits that could be on this list, but we just don’t have time to cover them all. Some of them aren’t even all that exotic but are no less delicious for it.
Consider some of the best desserts and treats on the Texas de Brazil menu, such as:
- Bananas, which we slice, dip in cinnamon and sugar, and fry for a crisp candied shell on top of decadent, soft banana flavors.
- Limes, which are a staple of some of our cocktails, and our fantastic key lime pie.
- Coconut, which can be found in our coconut chess pie.
Other tropical additions to a Brazilian menu might include the ever-popular pineapple, mango, and dragon fruit. All of these are popular throughout Brazil, and while they aren’t necessarily native to the area or particularly exotic, they’re found around the world for good reason.
So, if you have a hankering to try an exotic fruit, you might consider a trip to Brazil. If that’s out of reach, you can also look for your nearest Texas de Brazil location. We don’t have most of these fruits, but we have some, and of course, the meat is the star of the show. Stop on by; we’d love to see you!
