Acai

This member of the palm family grows in bunches, and can reach a height of 25 cm. 
Its olive-green leaves are large, the numerous blossoms are yellowish in colour, and each plants produces about 3-6 kg of fruit per season.
The Açaí berries are distinguished by their high content of calcium and iron, vegetable fats and proteins. 
Also, it is rich in anthocyanin that has an antioxidative effect on the body. With its deep red colour and unique, mild taste, it is perfect for mixing with other red fruits.

Acerola

The up to 3 meter high Acerola shrub comes from Central America and Brazil. 
The bushes are grown in small plantations and harvested 3-4 times a year. 
The fruits are 1-3 cm in size, yellow-orange to red, have a very thin skin and are juicy sweet-sour to very sour.
They look similar to cherries, although they are not related. With around 1700 mg vitamin C per 100 g fruit flesh, they have at least 30 times as much as the lemon. 

It is not possible to export the fresh fruit which is why it is mainly shipped as a juice concentrate, fruit puree or fruit powder. As a natural source of Vitamin C, it is often combined with other valuable contents. Acerola is used in numerous areas of food production as an additive in fruit juices, in dietary supplements or for refining sweets and ice-cream. The organic variant of the fruit powder is usually used in the organic baking industry to improve the properties of pastry.

Aloe Vera

The healing powers of Aloe Vera have been known to mankind from time immemorial.
In addition to the many essential nutrients obtained from the leaf pulp (Vitamin A, B2, C and E, minerals, trace elements, amino-acids and enzymes) 

Aloe Vera now comes in a surprising variety of raw material variants, such as the pure juice, diced in various sizes in sugar/water solution or as a spray- or freeze-dried powder.

Bambu Leaves

Bamboos can be small plants less than 1 m long and with stems half a centimeter in diameter, although there are also giants: about 25 m high and 30 cm in diameter. 
Before using the bamboo leaves, we should leave them to soak for 48 hours. Once hydrated, we should boil them until they are soft and drain. The bamboo leaves are used to wrap the food before cooking, usually steamed. In this way, the main ingredients acquire an aroma and herbaceous taste and their humidity is maintained. Often, we will see the bamboo leaves as square or pyramid-shaped packets, protecting a glutinous rice dough filled with other ingredients, such as pork or shiitake mushrooms.

Bambu water

Bamboo is used and is known for its great health benefits. Parts of the bamboo plant are used in herbal medicine from India and China, in particular it is recognized for its drainage function, facilitating digestion and its detoxifying effects. 
The bamboo shoot has an outer shell that must be removed. Inside is a soft core that needs to be boiled for 20-30 minutes in an uncovered pot to lose its bitterness. Then you can incorporate any type of dish. 
Decrease the cholesterol level. Improves digestive health. It has few calories. It is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Helps to heal wounds.

Boldo

The Boldo, the Camilla from Brazil, is an evergreen bush which has adapted to the dry climate zones or a small tree which can grow to be 6 m high. 

The healing effect of the plant was discovered by shepherds in essential oil and flavonoids. 
Boldin relaxes cramps in the stomach and supports the production of bile and stomach secretions. 

In South America, Boldo is widely used as tea.

Calamansi

The Calamansi looks like a lime but is much smaller (30-40mm).
It has a thick skin so that it can almost only be processed into puree. When fully ripe, it has a green to orange colour.

Compared to the lime, the Calamansi is more bitter, sweet-sour and exotic. In particular, the functional ingredients contain Pectin and Vitamin C. 

The Calamansi with its strong citrus aroma is particularly suited for producing refreshing drinks such as apple or pear-calamansi spritzers, citrus jams and jellies as well as chutneys and marinades.

Camu Camu

Camu-Camu is a 1-3m high bush which is found primarily in the north-western part of the Amazon basin.
It mainly grows in regions which are subject to periodic flooding.
The fruits taste sour which is why they are not usually eaten raw but used as an additive in refreshment drinks, ice cream and jams etc.

Traditionally, Camu-Camu is used to strengthen the immune system and prevent viral infections. 
It has the highest levels of vitamin C of all known plants.

Catuaba

Catuaba trees are found in the tropical rain forests of South America. 
Only the bark of the tree is used which, like the Lapacho tree, regenerates very quickly.
Catuaba has a revitalising and strengthening properties and is a known aphrodisiac. 
The red colour of the Catuaba bark is a widespread ingredient in many refreshing drinks in Brazil.
Catuaba has a high quantity of minerals and trace elements, in particular magnesium, potas- sium and calcium. Catuaba is used in large quantities in red wine.

Cajá

The fruits are 2.5-5 cm in size, varying in shape from oblong to pear-shaped, with a thin, smooth, yellow skin.
The flesh is only 1-4 mm thick, rich yellow, juicy and tastes bitter-sweet. 

The “Cajá” is highly valued in Brazil for its intense aroma, pronounced taste and rich yellow-orange colour. 

The fruit is rich in Vita- min C (30-73 mg), Provitamin A, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

Coconut

The Coconut is a tropical fruit. It has a thick outer shell, measures 20 to 30 cm and weighs 2.6 kg. 
Varieties: 
Giants: used for the production of oil and fruits for fresh consumption. Its water content is high and its flavor is not very sweet. 

Dwarfs: Due to the good taste of the water and the small size of these coconuts, they are used mainly for the production of bottled beverages. 

Hybrids: product of the cross between the previous varieties. They are fruits of medium or large size and of good flavor.

Dates

Origin: Oman 
Varieties: Khalas and Farth 
It has a very high content in sugar of up to 70%, of which it contains approximately 30-30-30% of Glucose, Maltose and Fructose; It is also very nutritious for its high content of carbohydrates, iron, potassium and phosphorus. It contains vitamins: A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, tryptophan and ascorbic acid. It is an excellent product, boiled in milk softens the respiratory tract. 
It can be eaten as a fruit or prepared in jams, puddings, cakes, ice cream, etc. Due to its high sugar content, it is considered an energy and an aphrodisiac.

Dragonfruit

The plant is a cactus very resistant to droughts. It is native to tropical America, mainly from Central America and the Caribbean.
Its aroma is lost when it is heated. Red Dragonfruits have pulp white or red; those of red pulp are more difficult to grow and therefore less frequent, although their flavor is more intense than that of white pulp. 

It has been proven that it lowers the level of blood sugar as well as blood pressure, strengthens bones and teeth, promotes good blood and tissue formation, strengthens the immune system, heals wounds and blows faster and prevents respiratory problems.

Goji Berry

Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) is also commonly known as Wolfberry. Like many of the herbs and natural supplements that have been found in Asia, Goji Berry is known to have many positive effects for people who want to promote overall body health. 
Goji has been around for more than 6,000 years and during that time, its virtues have been explored in various tests.
Scientists have found that people can benefit greatly from the use of Goji for a number of reasons, which confirms the beliefs of the Chinese herbalists who have used the berry for decades to treat people with a host of different ailments.

Jatoba

Jatoba is a tree which can grow to be 30 m in size and is found in the rain forest of the Amazons. 
It produces light green leaves, white flowers with an aroma and long brown fruits with large seeds. The popular Jatoba tea is made from the inside bark and serves as a natural source of energy. The modern Brazilian herbal medi- cine field describes Jatoba as a strengthening, kind-to-stomachs, stryptic and blood stilling substance. 
Jatoba contains a high quantity of minerals and trace elements such as manganese, soluble silicium and natural strontium which is important for the bone metabolism.

Liquorice

Liquorice is made from sweetwood. The plant originates from Central Asia. Sweetwood is a long-living, up to 2 m high, bush. 
The plant first produces a tap root, later a wooden rhizome and secondary roots. 
The sweetwood root contains saponin and flavoids, including the sweet-tasting glycyrrhizin, chalkone and cumarine. 
Glycyrrhizin is also able to help irritable coughs, can reduce inflammation and increases the fluidity of mucus. Sweetwood extracts are also used to aromatise medicines and sweets.

Lulo

The lulo bush is a native of Ecuador. Its fruit is also known as the Quito orange or naranjilla. 
Like the pomegranate, the skin conceals edible seeds with a bitter- sweet taste.
Since the export of fresh lulos is completely impossible, because the fruit is picked in the unripe state and then ripens very quickly, we can only obtain the preserved fruit, juice or nectar mixed with other fruit products. 

100 g of the juice contain approx. 40 mg of Vitamin C.

Maca

Maca is a plant which grows just above the ground and which produces one egg-sized root bulb.
For centuries Maca has been grown in the mountainous regions of Peru at heights of over 4000 m and is highly frost-resistant.

It serves the local population for medical purposes and as a basic food. 
The dried root is used as a raw material for drinks, jams or puddings.
The Maca extract is a rich combination of vitamins, minerals – particularly iron and iodine, amino acids and other active nutrients.

Mangosteen

Unique for its appearance and flavor, mangosteen is often revered as “the queen” of tropical fruits, particularly in the South-East Asian regions. 
This exotic, round, purple color fruit is quite popular for its snow-white, juicy, delicious arils all over the Asian countries, and in recent years by the European and American fruit lovers as well! Botanically, it is the fruit belonging to the family of Clusiaceae, in the genus: Garcinia.
Scientific name: Garcinia mangostana. Known as “Mangkhud” in Thai, Thailand is the largest producer and exporter of mangosteens. Mangosteen plant is an evergreen, erect tree reaching about 20- 60 ft in height.
It is commonly found in tropical rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines as well as in some cultivated orchards in Sri Lanka, and India, where annual precipitation and relative humidity are favorable for its growth. Fresh purple fruits can be available in the markets from June until October. 
Each tree bears several deep purple, round shaped fruits capped with light green calyx at the stem end. Completely matured fruit measures about 3-7 cm in diameter. 
Its outer tough rind is about 7-12 mm thick which contains bitter yellow latex that stains clothes black. Internally; the fruit features 4 to 10 juicy, snow-white, soft, fleshy, triangular segments as in oranges. Each segment may carry 1-4 off-white colored seeds. Seeds are inedible and bitter in taste. The flavor of the fruit can be described as sweet, mildy tangy, fragrant, and delicious.

Mate

Mate is a Brazilian evergreen tree with light bark which can reach 20 m in height. 
The leathery leaves are used; these are roasted to make green mate or fermented to make mate which is how they are sold in the shops. 
Mate leafs contain caffeine, theobromine, flavonoids, saponin, vitamins and essential oils. 
Due to the high content of vitamins and minerals, mate can almost be called a dietary supplement. With its pleasant aroma and unique flavour, mate is used in sweets, teas, refreshing drinks and juices.

Noni

Noni, (Morinda Citrifolia) was originally used to treat diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. Though we do not make any claims that Noni actually and single-handedly cures diseases or ailments, we do know that people taking Noni as directed have reported experiencing noticeable and, in many instances, remarkable results in their various conditions. 

Noni Use Today: 
Noni can be taken internally in the form of juice or capsules, or used topically in the forms of lotion, or soap. Noni has a variety of uses. The results of many scientific studies support the belief that regular Noni use can help promote good health.The Noni plant is a small evergreen tree that grows along Hawaii’s beaches and in forest areas up to 1,300 feet. It has been used for centuries by the Hawaiians to treat heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and other degenerative ailments.It has recently been brought back to popularity as new and exciting scientific findings have been released. Most recently, a federal grant was given to the University of Hawaii to study Noni as a possible cure for cancer.We do not make any claims that Noni cures diseases or ailments; however, people taking Noni on a consistent basis have experienced remarkable recoveries from various medical conditions.Noni grows throughout the South Pacific but Noni grown in Hawaii may be the purest and most potent variety in the world. Why? There is no pollution!

Nopal

Nopal, which originally comes from Mexico, is a rampant bush-like plant with fleshy leaves. 
The succulent plant can reach a height of 4 metres and is made of up to 90% water.
The base of the stems and the leaves contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, silicium, sodium as well as traces of iron, aluminium and manganese.
Due to the high quantity of pectin, it is said to be able to reduce cholesterol. The extract can be used in a number of applications and serves as a functional source of nutrients for dietary supplement products and drinks.

Lapacho Tree

The Lapacho tree is found in South America, primarily in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
The tree can reach a mighty 30 m in height and can live up to 700 years. 
The healing powers lie in the bark of the Lapacho tree.
It contains a rare combination of two antibacterial substances. 

The Lapacho extract is mainly used in drinks, snacks, bread, chewing gum, sweets and shakes.

Physalis

The physalis is a 1-2 m-high herbal plant. It is marked by the unique packaging of every individual fruit.

The light-brown, lantern-like carapace, the enlarged calyx, contains a single fruit about the size of a cherry. 

The greenish-yellow to bright-yellow, juicy berries are pleasantly bitter-sweet, with an intense aroma. 
The fruits are commonly processed into juice, preserves, gelees, jams and ice- cream, and are also used in cocktails or as a topping for fruit tarts etc.

Shizandra

Schizandra is a very rare climbing plant with pleasant smelling yellow-pink flowers which can grow up to 8 metres long. 
A spiky cluster, which can grow to 12 m in length and bear up to 25 red juicy berries, develops from the female flowers.
These berries are edible, although the taste which can range from sweet, sour, hot, bitter to salty, takes some getting used to. In its native China, the fruit is called “Wu Wie Zi” which means “fruit with 5 tastes”. 
In the winter the extract, which is produced from small branches, can be used to strengthen the immune system and in the spring, Schizandra is used to combat spring tiredness. 
Apparently Schizandra is also supposed to rejuvenate and enjoys a reputation as a love plant.

Soursop/Guanabana

The Soursop or Guanabana is related to the Annona that mainly grows in Central and South America. 
It grows on a tree that can reach a height of 8 meters and which is mainly cultivated in Asia and South America. The dark green fruits that have thorns and are around 20 cm in size and weigh 2 kg. 
They have a yellow-white and juicy fruit flesh inside. Guanabana is traditionally used as a herbal medicine.
For die food industry, the fruit is also important, not only due to ist bio-energy properties but also as it can be used to make ice-cream, baked goods, juices, yoghourt and cereals.

Starfruit

The starfruit is also known as the carambole or prickly pear. 
Probably origina- ting from Malaysia, it is now cultivated widely throughout all tropical regions.
Light-yellow to pale green in colour and 7-12 cm in length, the fruits consist of five individual ribs with a glossy skin, and when sliced make an ideal decora- tion for salads and ice-creams.
The flesh tastes bitter-sweet, and has a high content of Vitamin C, minerals and Provitamin A.

Surinam Cherry

The Surinam cherry is cultivated mainly in its original native region of Brazil.
The cherry-size, thin-skinned red berries vary in taste according to the inten- sity of the colour and type, which is usually pleasantly tart and fruity. 

They are best eaten when red, although the flesh of the fruit, which is high in Vitamin C and – even more important – three times as high in Lycopene as a tomato, is generally used in preserves, gelees, beverages or chutney.

Tamarillo

The Tamarillo, a solanum from Peru, also called tree tomato, grows in tropical heights between 1000 and 2500 metres.
The orange to red coloured fruits, which look like tomatoes, grow on up to
5 m high bushes, are up to 9 cm long and weigh around 60 g.
Similar to the tomato, the tree tomato is used as a fresh fruit.

Spreads, juices and even ice-parfaits can be made from the bitter-sweet, slightly tangy fruit flesh which is rich in vitamins.

Tamarind

The tamarind is an extremely versatile fruit, which originated from Africa, and is now cultivated in India, Arabic countries and Central America. 

Up to 18 cm in length, the so-called tree tomato has a bitter-sweet pith which is rich in pro- teins and ballast, amongst other things. 
d also as a seasoning in soups and sauces, and are therefore equally suitable for use in both sweet and savoury products.

Yuzu

Yuzu is related to the citrus fruit family and originates from China.
Today most of the plantations are in Japan.
The Yuzu tree is very winter-hard in contrast to other citrus trees. 
Its fruits have a thick shell and its fruit flesh is light yellow and not very juicy.
The juice is very sour, but the aroma is excellent and unique.
The fresh fruit is rarely served. 
The juice or small pieces are used as spicing agents or as vinegar substitutes and used for making citric acid. 
A rare product from Japan with a special aroma.