Abiu fruit! Did you hear the name of this fruit? May be not, may be yes! We didn’t hear about this fruit until we actually came across this name while browsing the internet. So, we thought of writing Abiu fruit facts.
So here we are, penning (keying) down 20 facts about Abiu fruit. In case you already know about this fruit and its facts, feel free to skip. Alternately, go through the list just to refresh your memory. Let’s begin…
Interesting Abiu Fruit Facts: 1-5
1. Abiu fruit originated in South America’s Amazon region. Its binomial name is Pouteria caimito.
2. The shape of the fruit can vary. It can be completely round. Alternately, it can be oval with a pointed ending.
3. The tree on which this fruit grows usually has a height of 33 feet. However, under proper conditions, the tree can actually grow as tall as 116 feet.
4. When the fruit becomes ripe, the skin becomes bright yellow. This skin is not edible and can be hard to chew on. With a thickness of 3 mm to 5 mm, the skin, when chewed, produce a very sticky latex.
5. However, the fruit that is hidden inside the skin (that is the pulp) is the actual thing. It is white and translucent in color. The texture of the pulp is like that of a jelly.
Interesting Abiu Fruit Facts: 6-10
6. In case you are wondering how the fruit tastes, honestly, we don’t have slightest of hint because we never ate one. However, documented information states that its taste is very similar to that of a sweet caramel custard known as sapodilla. We don’t have any idea about the taste of sapodilla either.
7. The fruit can have up to 4 ovate seeds however, the minimum number of seeds that you find in the fruit is just one (1).
8. Honestly, this fruit is a wild fruit. Have you heard of Andes mountains? The eastern side of Andes’ lower regions is where you will notice this fruit hanging out in the wide. This fruit usually grows from Venezuela to Peru.
9. Areas that have warm climate and have a moist climate throughout the year, the Abiu fruit grows in abundance. Basically, Abiu’s habitat is restricted to all tropical areas. Some of the commonest places where you find the fruit are:
- Peru’s Iquitos and Tingo Maria.
- Ecuador’s Guayas.
- Pará in Northern Brazil.
- Venezuela’s Amazonas.
- Colombia’s Vaupes, Meta and Caquetá.
- Trinidad
- Areas near Bahia and Rio de Janerio (Abiu grows sparsely in these areas because they fall under Atlantic rainforest areas).
10. It is better to know the different names of the fruit. There are different regional names that are used to identify this fruit in different places. Some of the commonly used regional names are:
- Caimitt or Yellow Star Apple in Trinidad.
- Madura Verde, Caimito Amarillo or Caimo in Colombia.
- Cauje or Luma in Ecuador.
- Tamare in Venezuela.
- Abieiro in Portugal.
- Alasa in Ghana.
Interesting Abiu Fruit Facts: 11-15
11. Anywhere between 100 and 1,000 fruits are produced in a single year by a mature Abiu tree.
12. Abiu fruits are known to keep on ripening even when they have been plucked after they become mature. This means that plucking the fruits can be timed in a way that they become completely ripe by the time they have been transported to their destination.
13. The commercial value of the fruit is very little (when considered in the native regions of the fruit) because of the fact that the fruit becomes easy victim to insects, primarily the fruit fly. Young fruits, leaves and buds are also known to come under attack by thrips.
14. The nutritional content of Abiu is given in the table below:
| Components of nutrition | Serving: 100 grams of the pulp |
| Ascorbic acid | 49 mg |
| Niacin | 34 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 mg |
| Thiamine | 0.02 mg |
| Vitamin A | 130 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Phosphorous | 41 mg |
| Calcium | 22 mg |
| Ash | 0.9 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 36.3 g |
| Fat | 0.4 g |
| Protein | 1.8 g |
| Energy | 140 calories |
15. The vitamin A content of the fruit is pretty high. This means that the fruit is very good for eye health.
Interesting Abiu Fruit Facts: 16-20
16. Vitamin C content in the Abiu fruit is pretty high. Vitamin C or the Ascorbic acid is responsible for building and fortifying our body’s defense mechanism. It helps to fight against various bacteria and viruses.
17. Calcium content of the fruit is also high. This means that it helps to boost the mass of our bones and at the same time, help to strengthen our teeth.
18. Not to forget the high amounts of Niacin present in the fruit. It is nothing other than Vitamin B3. This is an important nutrient that helps to keep our nervous system healthy. Apart from that, it also helps to maintain a healthy digestive system and is an important nutrient for skin health.
19. Looking at the fiber content, it is pretty decent, and hence, it helps to maintain digestive health. Also, if you are looking forward to weight loss, don’t forget to add this fruit to your diet.
20. In case you didn’t know, this fruit has been used by Brazilians for a long time to deal with respiratory diseases. The pulp of the fruit has, what is known as, mucilaginous nature, which is known to relieve bronchitis, cold and cough. It also helps with other pulmonary disorders.
Bonus Abiu Fruit Facts:
- In folk medicine, the fruit has been used as de-worming agent.
- It also works as laxative, anti-anemic agent (remember there is iron in the fruit) and anti-inflammatory agent.
- The unripe fruit is known for producing a sticky latex. This latex can be applied on abscesses and can also be used as cleanser and vermifuge.
- The fruit also helps in dealing with diarrhea and fever.