Camu Camu Fruit Powder

Myrciaria dubia, commonly known as camu-camu, camucamu, caçari, araçá-d'água, or camocamo, is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a small bushy riverside tree from the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil, which grows to a height of 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) and bears a red/purple cherry-like fruit. It is a close relative of the jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) and the guavaberry or rumberry (Myrciaria floribunda). As much as 2-3% of the fresh fruit by weight is vitamin C.In traditional Amazonian societies, camu-camu is not likely to have ever been nutritionally relevant except for its vitamin C content. The fruit is extremely acidic and the flavor much like a sour grape with a large pit. The fruit is often used to make a very pink juice with a little sugar (like lemonade). A reddish pigment in the leathery skin of the fruit imparts a pink color on juices extracted from camu-camu. The aroma is subtle, but is not so captivating as in more popular fruits. Recently, camu-camu is used in ice creams and sweets and processed powder from the fruit pulp is beginning to be sold in the west as a health food in loose powder or capsule form.Native Amazonian groups living on the banks of the Nanay River in the Loreto region of Peru, have been reported as using camu-camu as a traditional remedy for the treatment of malaria