Plant

Bacuri

Platonia insignis

Also known as: Platonia insignis, bacurizeiro

An Amazonian tree producing a yellow-skinned fruit the size of a small grapefruit, with sticky-sweet white pulp wrapped around large seeds. Bacuri pulp is one of the most beloved fruits of northern Brazil — into ice cream, juice, jam, mousse — and the seed butter is a regional cosmetic oil. The tree is slow-growing and primarily wild-harvested.

Scientific

Platonia insignis (family Clusiaceae) is a slow-growing canopy tree of eastern Amazonian forest, especially in Pará and Maranhão, reaching 25–40 m. Fruit is a 7–14 cm berry with thick lemon-yellow rind enclosing 3–5 large seeds wrapped in fragrant cream-colored pulp.

The pulp is aromatic and resinous-sweet — flavor often described as a cross between pineapple, mango, and turpentine. Seeds yield a thick yellow oil/butter (manteiga de bacuri) used cosmetically.

Cultural and historical

Bacuri is a foundational fruit of Maranhense and Paraense cuisine. Sorvete de bacuri (bacuri ice cream) and creme de bacuri are local specialties; doce de bacuri (preserves) is a traditional gift. Mostly gathered from wild trees by extractivist families; small-scale cultivation is increasing but the trees take 8–12 years to first fruit.

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Practical

produces

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Scientific

Cultural and historical

See also

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