Açai berries are 1-inch (2.5-cm) round fruits that grow on aAai palm trees in the rainforests of Central and South America. They have a dark purple skin and yellow flesh surrounding a large seed. Because they contain pits like apricots and olives, they’re technically not a berry, but rather a drupe. Nevertheless, they’re commonly referred to as berries. In the Amazon rainforest, açai berries frequently accompany meals.

To make them edible, they are soaked to soften the tough outer skin and then mashed to form a dark purple paste.
They have an earthy taste that’s often described as a cross between blackberries and unsweetened chocolate.

Fresh açai berries have a short shelf life and aren’t available outside of where they are grown. As an export, they are sold as a frozen fruit purée, dried powder or pressed juice. Açai berries are also sometimes used to flavour food products, including jelly beans and ice cream, while some non-food items like body creams contain açai oil.