Neha Patil (Editor)

Cupuaçu

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Malvaceae

Scientific name
  
Theobroma grandiflorum

Rank
  
Species

Order
  
Malvales

Genus
  
Theobroma

Higher classification
  
Theobroma

Cupuaçu wwwvirbogadepicsbig007503jpg

Similar
  
Açaí palm, Spondias mombin, Theobroma, Soursop, Brazil nut

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Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), also spelled cupuassu, cupuazú, cupu assu, and copoasu, is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao. Common throughout the Amazon basin, it is widely cultivated in the jungles of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru and in the north of Brazil, with the largest production in Pará, followed by Amazonas, Rondônia and Acre.

Contents

Cupuaçu AnuNaturals Artisan Hair Care Cupuau

Cupuaçu trees usually range from 5–15 m (16–49 ft) in height, though some can reach 20 m (66 ft). They have brown bark and leaves are 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in) long and 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in) across, with 9 or 10 pairs of veins. As they mature, the leaves change from pink-tinted to green, and eventually they begin bearing fruit. Cupuaçu fruits are oblong, brown, and fuzzy, 20 cm (7.9 in) long, 1–2 kg (2.2–4.4 lb) in weight, and covered with a thick 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in), hard exocarp.

Cupuaçu Trop Juice Pulp Fruit from Brazil Cupuau

Murumuru vs cupua u


Fruit

Cupuaçu Cupuau cupulate O Poder das Frutas

The white pulp of the cupuaçu has an odour described as a mix of chocolate and pineapple and is frequently used in desserts, juices and sweets. The juice tastes primarily like a pear, with a hint of banana.

Phytochemicals

Cupuaçu flavors derive from its phytochemicals, such as tannins, glycosides, theograndins, catechins, quercetin, kaempferol and isoscutellarein.

It also contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline as found in cacao, although with much lower content of caffeine.

Cupuaçu butter

Cupuaçu Theobroma grandiflorum Wikipedia

Cupuaçu butter is a triglyceride composed of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, giving the butter a low melting point (approximately 30 °C) and texture of a soft solid, lending its use as a confectionery resembling white chocolate. Main fatty acid components of cupuaçu butter are stearic acid (38%), oleic acid (38%), palmitic acid (11%) and arachidic acid (7%).

Ecology

Cupuaçu supports the butterfly herbivore lagarta verde, Macrosoma tipulata (Hedylidae), which can be a serious defoliator.

Cupuaçu

References

Cupuaçu Wikipedia