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Have You Ever Heard of the Fruit Called Araza?

The araza fruit (Eugenia stipitata), also known as Amazon pears and Strawberry guavas, is another fruit that few Americans have seen or tasted. Many don’t know that this fruit even exists. It comes from the Amazon basin and is grown in Brazil, Colombia, and Equador.

This is another tree fruit. This tree has been introduced to Florida, Central America, some of the other South American countries, and Malasia, but it is rarely seen in the US. It also isn’t common in Europe, though it is sometimes sold in the UK.

The trees can grow to 45 feet in height and some appear as lower-growing bushes rather than trees. The fruit of wild Arazas is about 3 ½ inches in diameter and some of the cultivated fruit can be nearly double this size. The fruit is harvested 2-4 times per year.

When ripe, the fruit is soft and yellow. It contains several large seeds, which are discarded. The flesh has the consistency of ripe peaches, but the flavor is very tart and someone like passionfruit. Sugar is often added to this fruit because of the tartness and acidity. This fruit is even more acidic than lemons. It also has a very good nutritive value.

Unfortunately, this is a fruit that currently is unlikely to enjoy a much larger market because once it is ripe, it only has a shelf life of about three days. 

  • Have you ever seen or tasted araza?

    • Yes
    • No
    • I’ve never even heard of this fruit

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Written by Rex Trulove

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