Rio de Janeiro ¨C Brazil has declared the acai berry a national fruit, a move to stamp its ownership on the popular ¡°superfood¡± as concerns grow about foreign companies staking claims to the Amazon¡¯s biological riches.
Acai has been a savory staple in the Amazon for centuries, eaten as a thick paste alongside fish and manioc flour.
The dark purple berry went global in the early 2000s after it was reinvented as a sweet sorbet, often topped with granola and fruit, and marketed for its antioxidant-rich properties.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.