Fruit from palm trees come in amazing assorted varieties!
Palm trees produce a number of unique fruits. Some are quite delicious. And no doubt you've heard of the well-known coconut and perhaps the date. Did you know the date is a palm tree fruit?
Have you heard of the acai berry? Lately has gotten more popular. There's said to be some healthful benefits from eating acai.
We've tried it a few times. Had a fruit bowl mixture including acai that was quite good. Lately I've been buying organic green tea with blueberry & acai concentrate added in. I love it, & have been reordering.
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You could Try It Out - We Recommend It! Even more-so if you're a regular tea drinker.
For the fruits from palm trees, you can explore many options.
Actually, all Palms Grow Fruit. With 2400/+ species of palm trees in the world, there are that many sorts of fruits from palms. Some are edible, probably the fruit from palm trees in about 100 species. So you can see most are not.
We'll decipher all of that here!
So, be ready to discover this diverse & sometimes delicious world of palm tree fruit.
When thinking of palm trees, most people think of their unique look. Plus their connection with tropical climates.
But we know that they all have a stunning variety of fruits! From sweet & juicy, to tart, tangy, bitter & inedible.
We'll explore different types of fruit from palm trees. From the good, the bad & the ugly!! Let's see a selection of the edible, the questionable & the awful/don't eat 'em!
Palm Tips, Exclusives, Fun & More, (+ Freebies!) at: LIFE AMID THE PALMS
Edible fruit from palm trees are used regularly. Some types of palms are cultivated exactly for their palm fruit.
You may not have heard of many of these palm tree fruits, since they don't ship them elsewhere. They don't last long. No kind of shelf life.
If you visit the area where these palms primarily grow, you may have a chance to taste them. Seeing if you'd like them!
PEACH PALM
Surely sounds like a palm tree with yummy fruit. Bactris gasipaes is found from Central to South America. Fruits are orange, yellow or red.
VEGETABLE IVORY PALM
Hyphaene petersiana is native to central areas of Southern Africa. If well cared for, it grows quickly.
CHILEAN WINE PALM
Jubaea chilensis originated in Chile's savannahs & lower Andes' foothills. Fruits are small & round. May be yellow, orange or something in between.
SEA COCONUT
AKA Double Coconut. Lodoicea maldivida comes from two islands of the Seychelles. Which are huge! Resembling two black coconuts hooked together.
UBUSSU PALM
Manicaria saccifera comes from areas in Central & South America. Also called Yolillo Palm, the tree has many local uses. The fruit becomes a refreshing, nourishing drink. Or even a cough syrup.
MORICHE PALM
Mauritia flexuosa loves steamy, Amazonia's swampy. Hogging up areas where it grows. It's fabulously gorgeous, with many district uses, including making rope, hammocks, paper & more. Plus its edible palm fruits.
RED SALAK
Salacca affinis is from the islands of Southeast Asia. Likes swampy rain forests. The scientific name's Latin meaning is "kin to" or "neighboring."
ACAI BERRIES
The fruit from Acai Palm Trees (Euterpe oleracea) are popularized as the superfood of palms. Recently becoming one of the most favorable fruits from palm trees. Acai berries are actually drupes (Learn About Palm Fruit Drupes).
You'll find them in (ad link) Healthy Tea Mixtures smoothie bowls, juices & other creative dishes. They've become popular around the world, with a unique flavor.
They're native to the Amazon rainforest, in its preferred estuary-type environment. Local people use this fruit from the Acai palm in many dishes, & also eat its heart of palm.
These small, purple berries - sometimes green - grow yearly on about 8 infructescences per palm. Once picked, they're only good for about 24 hours. They must be dried or flash frozen to survive shipping.
The high antioxidant content accounts for that "Superfood" Reputation. Antioxidants can help protect the body against damage from free radicals. But also, Acai berries are generally nutritionally packed! They have lots of good fiber & vitamin C. They contain healthy fats, plus potassium & phytochemicals.
Some palm tree fruits aren't likeable by humans. Even though they're technically edible. You could try them out if you'd want. What do you think your reaction would be?
But they're valued as useful animal feed.
MACAW PALM
Also known as Macaúba. The Acrocomia aculeata (the epithet means prickly) has a fibrous fruit. Found in Mexico, the Caribbean & areas of South America.
CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM
Phoenix canariensis originated on the Canary Islands - think you figured that! At full growth, this palm tree is massive. The large leaves are used for baskets.
AFRICAN WILD DATE PALM
Phoenix reclinata is also called Senegal Date Palm. Yes, growing in Africa, especially riverside areas. Fruits might be an acquired taste! They're locally eaten by some.
CHERRY PALM
Also called Wine Palm, the Pseudophoenix vinifera is sadly endangered within its original indigenous source, on Hispaniola. Resulting from constant cutting for wine production.
Many other varieties are worth exploring. We have a few more examples here.
PALMYRA FRUIT
The Doub Palm or Palmyra Palm has even more common names!
Borassus flabellifer is a Native Palm Tree in South & Southeast Asia. Its palmyra fruit is a popular ingredient in South Asian cuisine. It has a sweet, jelly-like flesh.
BE CAREFUL WITH THE KNIFE!
BETEL NUT
On the other hand, this palm tree fruit is a stimulant. Coming from the Areca Palm (Areca catechu), it's sometimes called the areca nut.
Its use is specifically for the energy boost it causes. It speeds up the central nervous system from some of its ingredients causing an adrenaline release. Commonly chewed in areas of Asia, the Pacific Islands & East Africa.
Long-term users can be spotted by their purplish tinted teeth.
It can even cause tooth loss & is reportedly a carcinogen. So there are health risks to using it.
Many other palm fruits have their own unique flavor & culinary/not uses. For their varied & local uses in multiple cultures. Some examples are:
The next time you're looking to try something new, think of considering the wide variety of fruits from palm trees.