Cupuacu was ist das und wofür wird es eingesetzt?

Cupuacu is a plant also called large-flowered cacao. The plant species belongs to the Theobroma genus and the mallow family. The fruits of the tree can be used in much the same way as cocoa. However, this plant has so far had very little commercial importance in Europe. The Cupuacu tree comes from Brazil.

Discover the delicious destilHERO Cupuacu vodka liqueur - The exotic taste straight from Brazil.

The fruits of the cupuacu look similar to a brown, oblong melon and the seeds of the fruit have a higher fat content than those of cocoa. The Cupuacu trees grow up to 15 meters high. Just like the cocoa plant, the Cupuacu is a shade plant and feels most comfortable in the middle of other plants, an intact biotope. Cultivation, in the most environmentally friendly and healthiest form in agroforestry, i.e. in mixed cultures, is best suited. The cupuacu is particularly rich in nutrients and contains many vitamins and minerals that can be used in very different ways. In Brazil and in the rainforest, the plant has always been used as a food and also as a medicine.

In the Amazon regions, the pulp of this plant, with its sweet and sour taste, is already very popular. In Brazil, the cupuacu fruit is traditionally used as an ingredient and is mainly used to prepare various desserts, jams or soft drinks. The fruit is also used for healing purposes by the local shamans. A plant that has so far been completely misunderstood in Europe, but has great potential because chocolate can also be made from it.

Cupuacu - the plant and the different species

As already mentioned, the Cupuacu tree belongs to the mallow family and is also known scientifically as Theobroma grandiflorum. For the enormously large trees, the diameter of the trunk is rather dainty. At around 45 centimetres, this is manageable and appears dainty in relation to the height of the tree.

The root system of the Cupuaçu tree is close to the surface and is called the taproot. The roots never entwine over the surface of the tree crown, which has grown very slender. Due to the shallow depth and the limited development of the roots, the trees are not very firmly anchored in the ground.

While the fruit of the Cupuacu tree resembles a melon or a papaya, the tree's leaves resemble ordinary deciduous leaves with special dimensions. The leaves can reach a length of up to 60 centimeters and are up to 15 centimeters wide. The shape can be oval or even egg-shaped.

The color of the leaves changes depending on the stage of growth. As the tree drifts, the leaves take on a slightly reddish color and are additionally covered with small hairs. After the forcing phase, the leaves then take on different colors on the top and bottom. A rich green can then be seen on the upper side, while the underside is more grey-green in colour.

The side branches are the flower bearers of the Cupuaçu tree, while the vertical branches bear no flowers. The flowers sit in groups of 3 to 5 and are stalked. The flowers consist of 5 sepals that bloom in white. The 10 inner grain leaves are then in turn divided into 5 white and 5 red.

The heyday

The Cupuaçu tree blooms in peak season at the beginning of the rainy season, which is from October to November. However, a smaller flowering period from July to August can also be recorded. The flowering is always dependent on the rainfall.

It then takes another 4 to 5 months for the fruit, which is also known as the cupuacu nut, to ripen. Then the fruits have reached a size of up to 35 centimeters in length, up to a diameter of 15 centimeters and up to 2 kilograms in weight. Whether a Cupuacu nut is ripe can be easily determined by 2 characteristics. The fear is then covered with a brown hairy fruit skin and exudes an intense pleasant fragrance.
Each cupuacu nut can contain between 25 and 50 seeds, which are protected by beige to white flesh.

Varieties of the Cupuacu Plant

The cultivated Cupuacu plant can be divided into 2 different varieties. These differ as follows:

• Mamau

This variety is a seedless variant of the Cupuacu plant and is further cultivated via seedlings. The fruits of this variety are very large, tapering at the end.

• Redondo

This variety tends to form smaller fruits, which are rounded in shape.

These varieties are usually grown on plantations. But the wild-growing plants also serve as an important basis for the residents of the region, as they can then also be sold on markets and can thus contribute a good part to the income.

Cupuacu how is the processing done  

The fruit itself and also the seeds can be processed. Since the plant is still very unknown in Europe, processing usually takes place on site. After the harvest, which takes place by hand, the fruits are usually processed immediately. The population of the rainforest likes to use the cupuacu fruit and uses it for very different purposes. For this very reason, the processing of the Cupuacu plant usually takes place right here.

An improved process for processing the cupuacu fruit was developed in 1985 by the EMBRAPA Amazonia Oriental Institute in Belém/Brazil. The exact process was not published until 1990. This led to a Japanese company also applying for a patent for the manufacture. After a protest, however, this was even described as product piracy and as future protection against other patent applications, Brazil then declared the Cupuacu fruit as its national fruit. This ensures that no further patent applications can be filed.

Buy Cupuacu what should you pay attention to?

The Cupuacu butter serves as a basic building block for numerous cosmetic products and is also used as a remedy. The seeds are processed, which then form the cupuacu butter and can either be used as body butter or processed with other oils. Cupuacu butter is used as the basis for many products, both for the manufacture of skin care products and for hair care.

In order to be on the safe side when buying Cupuacu, it is important to note a few things, because the manufacturing process plays a particularly important role, especially in terms of how it works.

When buying Cupuacu, it is important to ensure that the products are unrefined. This means that cold pressing was used to extract the oil or butter during manufacture. Because if the temperature exceeds 45 degrees, as is the case with the cheaper, refined production, numerous active ingredients such as vitamins and nutrients are lost. If the seeds are heated to over 240 degrees during production, almost all the important ingredients can be destroyed. The pleasant scent is also lost. This is exactly how the refined Cupuacu butter can be distinguished from the unrefined one.

When buying Cupuaçu, you have to look a little more specifically, as these products are not yet very common in Europe. However, special shops and service providers such as Amazon offer different products here.

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How does Cupuacu taste??

The pulp of the cupuacu plant tastes sweet and sour and has long been used in Brazil and in the regions around the Amazon to prepare desserts. With the addition of a little sugar, particularly tasty dishes can be prepared here, which impress with their unique taste. The sour basic taste gives the prepared dishes that certain something and the special flavor. Traditionally, cupuacu is used to make and refine jams, yoghurts, ice cream, liqueurs, soft drinks and many other similar products. Exotic and delicious in the taste of the Cupuacu, but unfortunately still very unknown in Europe.

However, many more products can be made from Cupuacu, not only the pulp, but also the seeds can be used here and used in so many ways.

What products can be made from Cupuacu?

The large-flowered sister of cocoa can be used and processed in a particularly versatile and extensive manner. Not only can the pulp be used for the various products, the seeds can also be optimally processed and serve as the basis for a large number of end products. This applies not only to food, but also to cosmetics. Cupuacu can also be used as a remedy.

Overview of possible uses of Cupuacu:

So far, the fruit has mainly been used as food in its country of origin. In Brazil, around the Amazon, the fruit is traditionally used, where the possible uses know no bounds. However, the fruit is also on the rise in Germany and can be processed into chocolate in a similar way to cocoa. Cupuacu chocolate is, however, of a softer consistency than cocoa chocolate. However, the experts suspect that this is due to the production method, which is similar to that of cocoa, but since the cupuacu fruit is larger, production takes more time. The fermentation process for the Cupuacu fruit is not yet fully developed. The end result is also softer, so that the consistency is similar to chocolate stored at 28 degrees. In Brazil, the delicious chocolate is used to make cakes and pralines. A great variant for refining many different foods opens up with this fruit.
The taste of the cupuacu fruit can also be distilled as an essence and used in even more ways to refine different foods. A popular variant for use in flavoring various types of alcohol. The sweet and sour taste can be wonderfully combined with other foods and thus refines the different varieties. This gives the drinks a particularly exotic and very aromatic taste.

What Effect Does Cupuacu Health Factsn

Cupuacu and its use in cosmetics:

The various excellent properties of Cupuacu are used in cosmetics. The fruit gives off a pleasant scent and is very rich in vitamin E and phytosterols, which makes it so suitable for a wide range of uses in cosmetics. Here a cupuacu butter is obtained from the fruit, which is very similar to the well-known shea butter, but with a lower melting point. Cupuacu butter is extracted from the fatty seeds and is used as the basis for many lotions and creams. The butter has a very good spreading ability, which means it can be easily spread on the skin and thus ensures a plumping skin feeling.

Active ingredients such as beta-sitosterol and phytosterol are found in Cupuacu. The molecular structure of phytosterol is very similar to human cholesterol. In addition, the components Isoscutellarein and Hypolaetin in the special composition occur naturally only in Cupuacu. The ecologically produced Cupuacu butter is therefore equipped with a very high effect. Compared to animal lanolin, Cupuacu butter can bind 240 percent more water. That is why the butter from Cupuacu is so popular in natural cosmetics and is used very often here. Manufacturers of cosmetics also like to use the butter as a basic ingredient, since the butter absorbs very quickly on the skin and also does not leave a greasy film. The rich vegetable fat of the fruit gives the skin a better moisture barrier and the skin is better hydrated.

The antibacterial and protective effect is also often used in hair care and is already widespread in Europe. Products with Cupuacu are available in many drugstores, but you should take a close look here and pay attention to the natural cosmetic seals in order to distinguish between the natural products and the industrial ones. Unfortunately, products that are industrially manufactured very often contain heavy metals that counteract the healthy effect.

1. Healing ointments made from Cupuacu butter help the skin to regenerate, relieve inflammation and even allow the skin to heal in a relatively short time. This is due to the antibacterial and protective properties of the plant.
2. Body emulsions are also often made from Cupuacu butter, as this binds water better and thus ensures good hydration of the skin. In addition, the butter leaves no greasy film on the skin and is absorbed particularly quickly. The barrier that the skin builds up with the help of the cupuacu butter also protects it better from damage.
3. The creams made from Cupuacu butter reduce skin redness, which is again due to the antibacterial effect. This soothes the skin and the redness goes away faster.
4. Cupuacu is also used in hair care to make the hair more durable and tear-resistant. This is due to co-emulsifying property. The hair also looks softer and is better supplied with moisture and can also store it better.
5. Butter is also very popular as an ingredient in anti-aging products because of its plumping effect. In addition, the antioxidant content ensures that free radicals are fought and the skin receives better protection against damage. The stimulating effect of the plant is also said to be longer-lasting and more intense than that of caffeine.
6. Sunscreens and lip balms also have a cupuacu butter base. The smooth butter is suitable as a basis here due to the easy distribution and the non-existent greasy film.

Due to the fact that Cupuacu butter is associated with very few or almost no side effects, the creams and lotions are also suitable for use on particularly sensitive skin. Only minor skin irritations can occur if the butter is not tolerated. However, in order to be sure that the products do not contain any heavy metals, it is important to ensure that only high-quality natural products are used.

Cupuacu as a natural remedy

The Cupuacu plant has been used as a natural remedy by shamans in the Amazon since time immemorial. Here the seeds are considered an effective remedy for abdominal pain and the cupuacu juice is used as an aid in difficult childbirth to relieve discomfort and heal wounds. But we also like to use Cupuacu with its various effects.

1. Anyone who regularly consumes Cupuacu fruits can notice significant effects on the body. The ingredients help to strengthen the immune system and thus protect against diseases and infections.
2. With the antibacterial effect, Cupuacu is also used for wound healing. Here the butter serves as a basis for ointments and creams.
3. But the positive effect on cholesterol levels should not be underestimated either.
4. The fruit also has a similar effect on the body as caffeine, but unlike cocoa, it does not contain caffeine.
5. The effect on blood pressure is also undeniable. Regular consumption lowers blood pressure and can thus protect against consequential damage.
6. The fruit is also said to prevent diabetes.
7. Most interestingly, cupuacu has a libido and fertility-enhancing effect.
8. The plant supplies the body with important vitamins such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, selenium, calcium and also antioxidants and essential fatty acids. In addition, the cupuacu contains flavonoids and alkaloids and theacrine, important nutrients for the body, which can be absorbed and processed much better in the form of the fruit.

What is the vodka from destilHERO with Cupuacu?

The vodka from destilHERO is a special mixture of 2 very different traditions. The combination, which incidentally entails a very nice history of origin, creates a very high-quality and delicious liqueur that entices with the exotic taste of Brazil.

- The history of destilHERO vodka:

During a voyage of discovery into the Amazon rainforest, the inventors of the liqueur were invited by an Indian tribe. A bottle of vodka was presented as a gift. In response, the guests were invited to the celebratory ritual, during which a special drink made from local fruits was served. An ancient holy drink, which has a very enchanting and wonderful taste due to the many exotic fruits. The idea of ​​mixing the two traditional drinks, Polish vodka and the holy drink, came from the guests and was accepted with joy. The mixed drink that was created then inspired the delicious and exotic vodka from destilHERO, which is available for purchase today.

Poland, the country where vodka was invented, and Brazil, the country of exotic fruits, come together in this great and delicious drink. The cupuacu is also part of this liqueur, here in the form of an essence, and can also unfold its many different effects. A great blend that will impress you too.

FAQs:

1. What is Cupuaçu?

• Cupuacu is a plant of the mallow family and is very similar to the cacao plant. Due to the many natural ingredients and the resulting effects, this plant can be used in many different ways.

2. Where is Cupuacu from?

• Cupuacu grows mainly in the Amazon region in Brazil and can also be found in Costa Rica.

3. How does cupuacu taste?

• The fruit itself is characterized by a sweet-sour and very aromatic taste.

4. What to do with Cupuacu?

• Cupuacu can be used as an ingredient in many desserts, in the manufacture of chocolate, as a natural remedy and, above all, in cosmetics. The many excellent ingredients characterize this fruit in particular.

5. Is Cupuacu healthy and healing?

• The many vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients give this fruit a variety of different, healthy and healing effects. The fruit is used in the form of creams and lotions in cosmetics, mainly because of its good moisturizing effect.