Cerrado Fruits Attractive to Homo Sapiens

Babassu can be used for everything. The mass of its stalk is rich in starch, carbohydrates, fibre and mineral salts. Various dishes can be prepared with this ingredient, which has high nutritional value.

Its fruit is sweet, somewhat reminiscent of prunes. This species occurs near waterways and is one of 51 species of muricis that occur in the Cerrado biome.

The fruit of the chichá can be up to 30 cm in diameter and are of the dry, desiccated type, which open when ripe to expose the seeds. The nuts are nutritious and tasty and are best eaten boiled or roasted.

One of the darlings of the Cerrado, the little cashew or cajuí is smaller than the commercial cashew and has a more intense flavour. It ripens in early spring, between September and October, and also serves as food for animals such as maned wolves and bush dogs.

It has a juicy pulp with a remarkable aroma and flavour, with high gastronomic potential, especially in confectionery. It is used to make ice cream, mousse, juices, sweets, cakes and liqueurs.

The fruits are very aromatic and delicious! However, if eaten overripe or in large quantities, they can loosen the bowels, hence their name. Its white flowers bloom in spring and are of rare beauty, with high landscaping potential.

An important nutritional supplement, rich in minerals, carotenoids and vitamins, especially vitamins A, C and B2. The pequi is much appreciated in the regions where it occurs and is widely used in regional cuisine in traditional dishes.

A tasty, sweet fruit that you can pick as high as you can reach. The plant is a shrub or tree that grows in the savannah and grassland formations of the Cerrado. The fruit has a thick skin and a white gelatinous pulp, which can be eaten in the same way as a lychee.

Also known as camburí, licurizinho or licuri-rasteiro-do-campo, this small palm tree occurs in savannah and grassland areas of the Cerrado. Its nuts are tasty and have a distinctive flavour, and are also enjoyed by the maned wolf.

The fruits of the mutamba are dry and woody, but have a very sweet pulp that has great culinary value. It is possible to extract ‘mutamba honey’ by soaking the fruit in a closed jar of water overnight.

From the same genus as the commercial persimmon (Diospyros kaki), it has a delicate and mild flavour. However, it has a pulpy flesh, lots of seeds and a thick skin, which makes it suitable only for fresh consumption.

A species of gabiroba tree, it occurs in the Cerrado's woodlands and riverside forests. The fruit is very tasty and is also appreciated by birds, bats and marsupials.

Also known as puçá, these fruits have a sweet, gelatinous pulp and are much appreciated by local communities in the regions where they grow.

A relative of the pine cone and the araticum, its fruits have a sweet and distinctive flavour and are also very popular with the Cerrado's wildlife.

It is one of the sweetest species in the Cerrado and is practically a ready-made jelly. The fruit ripens between November and January.

The peak fruiting period for these berries coincides with Easter, which may be where their popular name comes from. The name in Portuguese translates to "blood of Christ".

The fruit is the same size and shape as a pear and is very acidic, making it ideal for juices and jams.

From the same family as the blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), this species occurs near waterways and is a virtually untapped food potential in the Cerrado.