Eugenia stipitata

Arazá

Common names

English (Amazonian pear); Spanish (Arazá); Portuguese (araçá, araçá-boi)

Foods
Arazá fruit
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Tree info

Dimensions in meters 3–15m high. It is often kept short by pruning it in agroforestry systems or remains short when growing in the shade.
Maturity of tree before yields 3 years
Productivity lifetime 20 years
Seasonality It is typically harvested during the Amazonian rainy season from September–April. When grown in mineral-rich soils, the tree can flower and fruit continuously, with up to 4 harvests per year.
Production zones and cultivation methods The tree prefers to grow on non-flooded soils, but it can tolerate extended floods and can adapt to poor and acidic soils. In addition, it requires little phosphorus – which is often low in Amazonian soils – so the species is well-suited to its environment. The fruits should be harvested when green or slightly yellow and then left for post-harvest ripening. If harvested mature, they will bruise easily and be too fragile for transportation.

Nutrition

Per 100 g edible portion (EP)

The fruit is considered an underutilized and underexplored fruit in terms of its nutritional and market potential. It has a moderate amount of macronutrients, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins C, B and E. A serving of Arazá has twice as much vitamin C as an the same serving of oranges.
Energy (kcal) 32 kcal
% Daily Value (DV) *
Macronutrients Protein: 0.51 g 1 %
Fat: 0.2 g 0.3 %
Carbohydrates: 8.7 g 8.7 %
Key Minerals Iron: 0.55 mg 3 %
Calcium: 9 mg 1 %
Manganese: 0.11 mg  5 %
Key Vitamins Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): 27.7 mg 31%
Folate (Vitamin B1): 0.1 mcg   8 %
Niacin (Vitamin B2): 0.04 mg    3 %
Alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E): 0.83 mg    6 %
*All Daily Recommended Values are calculated using the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s recommendation guide.

Geography

Found throughout South America, especially in Amazon countries including Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

Uses

Arazá is part of the guava family. Its fruit is sweet, but very acidic with a pH similar to that of lemons. The sour taste means few people enjoy eating raw arazá, but it is used to make many products. Once the seeds are removed, the yellowish-green mesocarp, or pulp, can be used to make juice, jam, ice-creams, hot sauce and even liquor. However, its flavour boils away easily when cooked, so jams are best made by quick boiling. The fruit also has a potential to be used for dehydrated fruit and essential oil production.

In Peru, the fruit is sold on local markets, but farmers struggle to sell their produce at a decent price. Some actors are trying to develop markets for other products (e.g. jam) that allow the fruit to have a longer shelf-life. However, few efforts have been proven successful so far.

Although typically harvested from the wild, there is increasing interest in scaling up commercial production (if the market supports it). In agroforestry systems, the plant’s size, shape and shade tolerance allow it to integrate well with other fruit-tree crops. Additionally, arazá fruits on farms could contribute to improved diet diversity for smallholders

E. stipitata is a good species to rehabilitate degraded land because of its ability to adapt to poor and acidic soils. Such resilience, along with its potential for commercialization could generate more income for smallholders if there were a better markets for arazá.

Medicinally, arazá is rich in antioxidants and is sometimes taken as a treatment for parasites.

Scientist’s Review

“I used to dislike Arazá because I found it too bitter and not enjoyable as a sweet fruit. But that was only until I discovered Arazá hot sauce. It’s the best hot-sauce recipe I’ve ever had: mix Araza with hot peppers, salt and coriander and you’re all set for the best Amazonian condiment you’ve ever tried.” – Elisabeth Lagneaux

Scientific references

  • de Araujo, F.F., de Paulo Farias, D., Neri-Numa, I.A., Dias-Audibert, F.L., Delafiori, J., de Souza, F.G., Catharino, R.R., do Sacramento, C.K. and Pastore, G.M., 2021. Chemical characterization of Eugenia stipitata: A native fruit from the Amazon rich in nutrients and source of bioactive compounds. Food Research International139, p.109904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109904

  • Garzón, G.A., Narváez-Cuenca, C.E., Kopec, R.E., Barry, A.M., Riedl, K.M. and Schwartz, S.J., 2012. Determination of carotenoids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of Arazá (Eugenia stipitata McVaugh), an Amazonian fruit. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry60(18), pp.4709-4717. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf205347f

  • Lagneaux, E., Jansen, M., Quaedvlieg, J., Zuidema, P. A., Anten, N. P. R., García Roca, M. R., Corvera-Gomringer, R., & Kettle, C. J. (2021). Diversity Bears Fruit: Evaluating the Economic Potential of Undervalued Fruits for an Agroecological Restoration Approach in the Peruvian Amazon. Sustainability, 13(8), 4582. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084582

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