Pequi: A Case of Love and Hate

Learn more about the pequi, the controversial fruit of the pequi tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado

By CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Luiza F. A. de Paula & Renato de Giovanni

Tree of Caryocar brasiliense (pequi) (2023) by Luiza de PaulaCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Pequi tree

The pequi tree (Caryocar brasiliense), of the Caryocaraceae family, is a native and emblematic tree of the Brazilian Cerrado. Its trunks are twisted and its bark is thick.

Vol. XII, Part I, Fasc. 97 Plate 73 (1886-04-01)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Pequi tree in Flora Brasiliensis

This lithograph of the pequi tree is found in the work Flora Brasiliensis, the result of the travels of the German naturalists Spix and Martius in Brazil (1817-1820), who recorded much of the Brazilian flora.

The leaves

The leaves of the pequi tree (which can measure up to 20 cm) consist of three leaflets covered with small hairs. They are commonly used to make astringents.

The flowers

The flowers are white, large, and showy, with five petals and long stamens (thin appendages, which are the male part of the flower). They are mainly pollinated by bats but are also visited by large bees and hummingbirds. Flowering takes place between August and November.

Pequi flower, Nina Wenóli, 2022, Original Source: iNaturalist
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Pequi leaves, Luiza de Paula, 2023, From the collection of: CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
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Details of the flower and leaf of the pequi tree in nature.

Fruits of Caryocar brasiliense (pequi), Manequinho, 2023, Original Source: iNaturalist
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Open fruit of Caryocar brasiliense (pequi), Luísa Salema, 2022, Original Source: iNaturalist
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The pequi is the fruit of the pequi tree. Its pulp is yellow, oily, and aromatic. Fruiting occurs in the rainy season, between October and February. It is a controversial fruit, as some love its flavor while others hate its taste and the little surprises it contains.

Rice with pequi by Felipe RibeiroCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

A loved fruit

With its distinctive flavour, there are many pequi lovers who consume it cooked or raw. The fruit is commonly used to make rice, liqueurs, preserves, sweets and ice cream.

Pequi at the market (2006) by Mateus HidalgoOriginal Source: Wikimedia Commons

A taste of Minas Gerais

Pequi is a symbolic fruit of the culture and cuisine of the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais. There is even a town in the state named after the fruit. In local markets, pequi dominates the stalls.

Pequi thorns by Ernani CalazansCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Thorny skin

One of the possible etymologies of the word pequi comes from the Tupi, meaning “thorny skin,” due to the tiny thorns arranged in the core and inserted just below the pulp, around the pit.

Pequis, pulps and its nuts (2017) by Neide RigoCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

A hated fruit

Because of its thorns, the fruit should be carefully nibbled between the teeth instead of bitten into, or a utensil should be used to scrape out the pulp. For this reason, many people hate the pequi, having had their tongue or gums pricked! The peculiar flavor is also not to everyone’s taste.

Caryocar brasiliense (pequi) (2017) by Rafael CarrieriCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Beyond the flavor

Loved or hated, pequi has different uses beyond its flavor. Its oil (extracted from the pulp and the pit) is used in the production of cosmetics and biodiesel. Other studies have identified its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Squirrel with pequi (2016) by José Eugênio Côrtes FigueiraCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Other consumers

Pequi fruits are also a source of food for other species, such as tapirs, peccaries, macaws, and squirrels, which contribute to their dispersal, albeit over relatively short distances as few can swallow a seed of this size.

Giant sloth illustration (1896) by Henry Neville HutchinsonOriginal Source: Extinct monsters: a popular account of some of the larger forms of ancient animal life

Consumed in the past by giants?

Studies suggest that the extinction of megafauna species 10,000 years ago may have significantly impacted the dispersal potential of trees with large seeds like pequi. The giant sloth, for example, occurred in the same regions where we have pequi trees today.

Macaw eating pequi (2011) by Felipe Matheus Laurindo de OliveiraCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

Conservation challenges

The limited dispersal potential of the pequi tree is just one of the challenges for its long-term survival...

Pequi tree (2021) by Silvia Harumi KamazukaOriginal Source: iNaturalist

Gold of the Cerrado

Despite being controversial in terms of taste, the pequi is known as the “Gold of the Cerrado”. Public policies focusing on the sustainable use of the pequi tree have sought ways to preserve the species, as the Cerrado has been losing large expanses to monoculture and urban centers.

Fruits and seeds (2018) by Leandro MouraOriginal Source: Wikimedia Commons

More pequi fans?

There are also studies aimed at genetic improvements in the pequi tree, seeking a greater yield from the edible part and the creation of pequi without thorns. Before long, the pequi will gain even more fans among those whose biggest problem was the thorns.

Credits: Story

Research and writing: Luiza F. A. de Paula (UFMG/CRIA) & Renato De Giovanni (CRIA)
Assembly: Luiza F. A. de Paula (UFMG/CRIA)
Review: Renato De Giovanni (CRIA)
References: Flora Brasiliensis (http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/opus), Travels in Brazil (https://www2.senado.leg.br/bdsf/handle/id/573991)
Additional information: http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/stories
Acknowledgments: All the authors of the photos and characters in the story

*Every effort has been made to credit the images, audio, and video and correctly recount the episodes narrated in the exhibitions. If you find errors and/or omissions, please email contato@cria.org.br

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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