The mega diversity of Peru is incomparable! According to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), more than 160 species of fruit have been identified in the Amazon regions, and more than 100 of them are sold in markets. Our country is a world power in the cultivation and export of fruit to the entire planet, and its production already represents 38% of the country’s total agriculture.
Among this enormous and delicious variety are the SUPER FOODS PERU such as aguaymanto, camu camu, granadilla or mango. However, there are also lesser known fruits, hidden in the dense Peruvian Amazon. Many of them are cultivated on a smaller scale or only grow wild, and consumed only by the local population. Due to this, they cannot be found in the markets of the country’s large cities, nor are they known by Peruvians themselves.
If you want to know more about the fruits of the Peruvian jungle, this list includes 5 fruits of the peruvian jungle of them that you probably did not know:
MACAMBO
It is a fruit belonging to the cocoa family and, depending on the region, it is also known in Kichwa aspatasmuyo. Its pulp can be eaten fresh or used for the preparation of juices and desserts. Its seeds are toasted and consumed as a healthy snack, as they are energizing, rich in protein and fiber.
Its traditional consumption dates back hundreds of years, but recently it is being revalued and it has already been incorporated into the preparation of desserts or the making of drinks. There are even brands of macambo-based liquor.
HUMARÍ
Known as the vegetable butter of the jungle, this fruit is part of the traditional breakfasts in the Loreto region. The creamy orange pulp, with a very pleasant flavor and aroma, can be consumed directly like any other fruit, in juices, ice creams or also in desserts. However, the most common way is to spread it on bread, as a healthy and nutritious replacement for butter, as it has a large amount of calcium and vitamin C.
The fruit is highly appreciated and used in its entirety: the seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack and the peel is processed to extract oil that is used for cooking.
UNGURAHUI
The ungurahui is a tropical palm that reaches 25 meters in height, with bittersweet fruits, approximately 3 cm in diameter, with a dark purple skin and violet pulp. Each ungurahui palm tree can produce 3-4 bunches, and each bunch has about a thousand fruits.
Thanks to its high content of essential amino acids and proteins, ungurahui is considered one of the fruits with the highest nutritional value, comparable even to meat, legumes and cow’s milk. Throughout the Peruvian jungle, it is consumed fresh, in juices or in the form of ice cream.
MAUSHAN
It looks like a miniature papaya and has a similar and even sweeter flavor. It is usually consumed as a dessert or in the form of fresh fruit to quench hunger and thirst, after a long work activity in the field. In recent years, it has also begun to be marketed in the form of preserves, jams or sweet maushan.
Its aroma is pleasant as well as its flavor. But not only is it delicious, it also provides much-needed nutrients for a healthy diet, as maushan contains vitamins A and C, as well as essential oils.
TUMBO
It grows both in the high jungle and in the Andean areas of the country. The pulp is firm, fleshy and with small black seeds. The color of the pulp is yellow or orange. Although it is not well known in Peru, it is highly appreciated by foreigners, as its flavor is described as exotic, soft, pleasant, perfumed and slightly acidic.
In addition, it is especially nutritious, as it has a high content of calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3.