Where Is Acai (Açaí) From?

Is Acai (Açaí) from Brazil?

Acai (Açaí) is deeply Brazilian. Native to the Amazon, particularly Brazil’s northern states like Pará, it’s a cultural and culinary icon. But there's more to uncover below the surface…

Fun Facts About Acai (Açaí)

• It’s not a berry—it’s a drupe: While commonly called an “acai berry,” it’s botanically classified as a drupe—a stone fruit with a single large pit, like olives or cherries.

  
  

• Surviving outside Brazil is rare: These palms thrive in tropical floodplains—conditions hard to replicate elsewhere. As a result, fresh açaí is almost impossible to find outside Amazonian states; outside Brazil, it’s mainly sold as frozen purée or powder.

  
  

  The açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea) is native to eastern Amazonia and also occurs naturally in neighboring South American countries (e.g., Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana). However, large-scale cultivation outside Brazil is rare due to its need for specific swampy, flood-prone habitats.

• More than 90% comes from Pará! About 95% of acai (açaí) consumed globally originates from Pará.

How Is Acai (Açaí) Harvested?

Expert climbers, known as apanhadores, scale 20–30 m palm trees barefoot using foot-loops and baskets, harvesting hundreds of fruit bunches per day.

“We must have a profound appreciation for the people who harvest açaí. Every day, they climb towering palm trees, sometimes 20 or 30 meters high, to collect this rich fruit. It’s not easy. I’ve tried it myself, and let me tell you: it takes real skill, strength, and heart.”— Fernando, co‑founder of Hyper Açaí

Here is a video of Fernando climbing these palms and footage from his travels to Brazil documenting this process.