Many people have been asking about the acai berry and where it comes from and the history. In the coming weeks we will be writing several articles about the acai berry. This is the first in a series.
History of Acai berry
Acai has very deep roots in history. It is some traditions it has immense importance, especially for the people living in Amazon and areas located near to it. Studies show that the acai has been used for many centuries and for different purposes. It has been used as a medicine, a type of food and for treatment of ailments. There are many interesting stories about the history of this berry. It is said that once upon a time tribal chief’s daughter gave birth to a child but due to over-population of the tribe, that child was killed. The chief’s daughter was very sad about her child. One day while she was sitting sad and missing her child she heard someone crying outside her hut. She ran out to see who is crying but when she came out she was stunned to see a tree which was spinning and flying. She died at the spot after seeing this. Now where that lady died a tree grew up. That tree was named after that lady, Acai. According to another traditional story acai is the savior of a whole tribe. Once upon a time people of the native tribe started to get sick with unknown types of diseases; they tried many different medical treatments which were available at that time but all was in vain. Then at last they used acai, and amazingly they recovered from diseases very quickly. From that day acai has been given respect for its medical importance. Up until the twentieth century, the world wasn’t really aware of Acai. But with the passage of time and its ever increasing popularity due to its many advantages, acai is now very well known and used all over the world. It started with people who used to live in rainforests, at that time pronounced as ‘ah-sigh-ee’, as a medicine for the treatment of different illnesses. But because acai had very good healing power and it cured diseases very efficiently, it started to gain popularity among people of other regions. Use of different plants, herbs and fruits as medicine was not new at that time, but due to its very good healing power, it gained popularity. The natives of the Amazonian rainforest soon realized that acai can be a good shield against different diseases. Because of the usage of acai, the ratio of getting ill decreased. Acai helped them a lot to increase their ability to resist different diseases by enhancing the immune system of their bodies. Risk of different types of infections was reduced with the usage of Acai.
The acai berry is found on the palm trees. These trees have a slim long trunk and they can be 25m high. These trees have ribbon like leaves and acai berries grow at the top of their branches. These are grown in the form of bunches. According to the custom, acai berries are picked by hand. Men climb up the tree and then pick bunches of acai.
A single palm tree can produce up to 20 kilograms of acai berry per year. As of now, acai is renowned all over the world for its advantages; it is now sorted so that it can be divided into different groups according to its quality.
The raw Acai berry has a life of roundabout a day, so it is ensured that it should reach its desired place within that time without losing its original properties. These raw Acai can also be used to make many different products.
Usually Acai Berries flourish in the forests of the Amazon in Brazil. Specialists, Botanists and Scientists believe that the region where acai berries grow contains very curable herbs that are extremely effective for health which can cure many severe diseases. The legendary historical background of the Acai Berries is quite interesting.
The story which the local people told about the history of Acai Berries is very adventurous. A tribe was struck by severe starvation and there was nothing left to eat. Due to this hardship “Laki” the leader of tribe ordered his people to sacrifice all of their babies for the sake of food. Even his own daughter’s baby was sacrificed. After this incident, Laki’s daughter was utterly depressed. She locked herself away and took no food and water until one night she heard the weeping of her baby. When she found her baby under a palm tree she also saw the dead body of his father. People also found a bunch of dark purple berries; these dark purple berries are now known as Acai Berries. This is the historical background of Acai Berries and it’s quite adventurous and interesting.
The exact region where this berry is produced widely is Belem. The local people of this area are said to be the young generation of Laki’s tribe. These local people fulfill their needs and starvation problems by selling these berries. Now you understand the proper background of these berries.
The tree of the Acai Berry has a very sacred reputation among all Brazilians as they call this tree the “Tree of Life”. The Acai Berry grows on top of a tree but in bunches like grapes. The freshness of these berries without preservation is only 24 hours hardly, so to keep them fresh for longer people freeze them. There are numerous benefits of this berry and the local people introduced all of its health benefits. Acai Berries have a splendid medical background. Its juices are full of vitamins and energy. Due to the great benefits of the Acai Berry some surfers from California started distributing it all around the world.
Acai Berry has the ability to give strength to the human body for a long duration, that’s why people all around the world use this fruit so frequently to keep themselves healthy and energetic. Even botanists and specialists also believe that it’s extremely beneficial for health. Medical science has also proven that this fruit has magical powers and replenish energy loss. Usually the people who thrive using this berry are known surfers and there are thousands of surfers all around the world. If you are ill and feeling puny you can take this berry and can easily feel the difference.
Now I think that this brief historical background and some of the health benefits discussed above in this article surely give you an awareness and positive aspects of this magical Acai berry. Acai has a long history.
