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.
Details of the flower and leaf of the pequi tree in nature.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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