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A delicious, yet little known, fruit juice from a relative of cacao (the source of chocolate).
A study on the domestication of a species related to cacao has been published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment. Instead of being used to produce chocolate the fruit pulp of this species, Theobroma grandiflorum, is used to produce fruit juice and flavouring.
Amazonia is known for being one of the most biodiverse places on Earth but the importance of this biodiversity remains to be investigated. Cultivated Amazonian species include açaí, pineapple, cassava and Theobroma cacao (the source of chocolate). A species that has been poorly documented is cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), a fruit tree closely related to cacao that is valued for its seed-pulp that is used to produce fruit juice and "cupulate", a confectionery similar in flavour to chocolate.
In a study by Matheus-Colli Silva of the University of Sao Paulo, co-supervised by Dr James Richardson at BEES, population genomic data were used to explore the domestication history of cupuaçu. Results indicated that cupuaçu is a domesticated form of a related species called cupuí (Theobroma subincanum). Domestication of cupuaçu involved selection of individuals of cupuí with larger fruits and seeds. We show that indigenous groups began the domestication process 5,000-8,000 years ago. This process was then intensified over the last two centuries principally by European colonists. Our study highlights an example of how the interaction between humans and plants has developed in Amazonia. Further studies will focus on how these plants might be sustainably utilized in the future.