Theobroma grandiflorum
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Theobroma grandiflorum, commonly known as cupuaçu, also spelled cupuassu, cupuazú, cupu assu, or copoazu, is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao.<ref name="purdue">Template:Cite book</ref> Native and common throughout the Amazon basin, it is naturally cultivated in the jungles of northern Brazil, with the largest production in Pará, Amazonas and Amapá, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru.<ref name="purdue"/> The pulp of the cupuaçu fruit is consumed throughout Central and South America, especially in the northern states of Brazil,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is used to make ice creams, snack bars,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and other products.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Description
Cupuaçu trees usually range from Template:Convert in height, though some can reach Template:Convert. They have brown bark, and the leaves range from Template:Convert long and Template:Convert across, with 9 or 10 pairs of veins. As the trees mature, the leaves change from pink-tinted to green, and eventually they begin bearing fruit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Flowers of cupuaçu are structurally complex, and require pollination from biotic vectors.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> The majority of cupuaçu trees are self-incompatible, which can result in decreased pollination levels, and consequently, a decrease in fruit yields.<ref name=":0" /> Pollination can also be negatively affected by environmental conditions. Pollinators, which include chrysomelid weevils and stingless bees, are unable to fly between flowers in heavy rains.<ref name=":0" />
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.<ref name="purdue" /> The juice tastes primarily like pear, banana, passion fruit, and melon.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Chocolate made from cupuaçu, very similar to that made from cocoa, is called cupulate.<ref>Pensamento Verde, 12 May 2014. "Frutas brasileiras: Descubra os benefícios do cupuaçu" (in Portuguese) Retrieved 9 February 2022.</ref>
Cultivation
Cupuaçu is most commonly propagated from seed, but grafting and rooted cuttings are also used.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Cupuaçu trees are often incorporated in agroforestry systems throughout the Amazon due to their high tolerance of infertile soils, which are predominant in the Amazon region.<ref name=":4" />
Cupuaçu is generally harvested from the ground once they have naturally fallen from the tree. It can be difficult to determine peak ripeness because there is no noticeable external color change in the fruit. However studies have shown that in Western Colombian Amazon conditions, fruits generally reach full maturity within 117 days after fruit set.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Brazilians either eat it raw or use it in making sweets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Commercial food products include pulp and powder.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Pests and diseases
Witches' broom (Moniliophthora perniciosa) is the most prominent disease that affects cupuaçu trees.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite journal</ref> It affects the entire tree and can result in significant loss of yields and even tree death if left untreated. Regular pruning is recommended to reduce the severity of this disease in cupuaçu plantings.<ref name=":3" />
Cupuaçu supports the butterfly herbivore, "lagarta verde", Macrosoma tipulata (Hedylidae), which can be a defoliator.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Phytochemicals
Cupuaçu flavors derive from its phytochemicals, such as tannins, glycosides, theograndins, catechins, quercetin, kaempferol and isoscutellarein.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It also contains theacrine, caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline as found in cacao, although with a much lower amount of caffeine.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Sira2018>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Page needed</ref><ref name="pmid26766930">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Cupuaçu butter
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.<ref name="purdue"/> The main fatty acid components of cupuaçu butter are stearic acid (38%), oleic acid (38%), palmitic acid (11%), and arachidic acid (7%).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Sira2018/>
See also
References
External links
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