Tropical Fruits - Just How Many Are There in Brazil?

Since the days when Carmen Miranda first arrived in Hollywood with a basket laden with tropical fruits atop her head, North American's have associated fruits such as pineapples, limes, papayas, and guavas with Brazil. Tourists in Rio fall in love not only with Sugar Loaf and Ipanema Beach, but also with the delicious cocktail called the caipirinha, made from limes and a sugar cane-based liquor called cachaça. Every morning, these same tourists marvel at the bounty of fruit served at their hotel's breakfast buffet. Brazilian food, and Brazilian cuisine, is unthinkable without fruit. It is eaten fresh, it is drunk as juice, it flavours desserts, and it is a primary ingredient in many sweet and savory dishes.

All the tropical fruits available in North America can be found in Brazil. But they are only a small portion of the enormous number of fruits that can be, and should be, enjoyed by visitors to this country. In every region, and every season, fruits can be found that are never exported, and have limited distribution even in Brazil. Some have familiar flavors, and some have flavors unlike any other fruit in the world. They all beg to be tried, and tourists with adventuresome palates will be well-rewarded for taking that first bite into the unknown.

I recently came across a Brazilian website, Toda Fruta, which has an alphabetical list of all the commercially-grown fruits in Brazil.  The site in in Portuguese, but after the jump, I've copied just the list. Take a look - and count how many you've heard of. I'll be discussing individual fruits later in this blog, but I know I'll never make it through this entire list!

Abacate,  Abacaxi,  Abiu,  Abricó, Açaí, Acerola, Akee, Ameixa, Amêndoa, Amora, Anonáceas, Araçá, Atemoya, Avelã, Babaco, Bacaba, Bacuri, Banana, Baru, Bilimbi, Biribá, Butiá, Cabeludinha, Cacau, Cagaita, Caimito, Cajá, Caju, Calabaça , Calabura, Calamondin, Cambucá, Cambuci, Camu – Camu, Caqui, Carambola, Carissa, Castanhas Variadas, Cereja, Champedaque, Cherimoya, Ciriguela, Citrus em Geral, Coco, Condessa, Cupuaçu, Damasco, Dovyalis, Durião, Feijoa, Figo, Framboesa, Fruta – Pão, Frutas do , errado, Glicosmis, Goiaba, Granadilla, Graviola, Groselha, Grumixama, Guabiju, Guabiroba, Guaraná, Guariroba, Ilama, Ingá, Jabuticaba, Jaca, Jambo, Jambolão, Jaracatiá, Jatobá, Jenipapo, Jerivá ou Jeribá, Jujuba, Kiwi, Langsat, Laranja, Lichia, Limão, Limas Ácidas e Doces, Longan, Lucuma, Mabolo, Maçã, Macadâmia, Mamão, Mamey, Mamoncillo, Maná – Cubiu, Manga, Mangaba, Mangostão, Maracujá, Marang, Marmeladinha, Marmelo, Marolo, Marula, Massala, Melancia, Melão, Melão-de-São-Caetano, Mirtilo, Morango, Murici, Naranjilla, Nectarina, Nêspera, Noz Pecã, Pequi, Pêra, Pêssego, Physalis, Pinha, Pinhão, Pistache, Pitanga, Pitangão, Pitaya, Pitomba, Pulasan, Pupunha, Rambutão, Romã, Salak, Santol, Sapoti, Sapucaia, Taiúva, Tâmara, Tamarindo, Tangerina, Tarumã, Tomate Arbóreo, Toranja, Umbu, Umê, Uva, Uvaia, Wampi