A jaboticaba, spelled jabuticaba in Portuguese, is a round, edible fruit produced by a jaboticaba tree (Plinia cauliflora), also known as Brazilian grapetree. The purplish-black, white-pulped fruit grows directly on the trunk of the tree, making it an example of 'cauliflory'. It is eaten raw or used to make jellies, jams, juice or wine. The tree, of the family Myrtaceae, is native to the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goiás and São Paulo in Brazil. Related species in the genus Myrciaria, often referred to by the same common names, are native to Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia.

Etymology

The name jaboticaba derives from the Tupi word îaboti Lusitanized jaboti/jabuti (tortoise) + kaba (place), meaning "the place where tortoises are found"; it has also been interpreted to mean 'like turtle fat', referring to the fruit's white pulp. It could also derive from ïapotï'kaba meaning "fruits in a bud". The Guarani name is yvapurũ: yva means fruit and the onomatopoeic word purũ, from pururũ, describes the crunching sound the fruit produces when bitten.

Description

Plant

The tree is a slow-growing evergreen that can reach a height of 15 meters if not pruned. The leaves are salmon-pink when young, turning green as they mature. The tree prefers moist, rich, lightly acidic soil. It is widely adaptable, however, and grows satisfactorily even on alkaline beach-sand type soils, so long as it is tended and irrigated. Its flowers are white and grow directly from its trunk in a cauliflorous habit. In their native habitat, jaboticaba trees may flower and fruit five to six times throughout the year. Jaboticaba trees are tropical to subtropical plants and can tolerate mild, brief frosts, not below 26 °F (-3 °C). The tree has a compact, fibrous root system, that makes it suitable for growing in pots or transplanting.

Fruit

The fruit is a thick-skinned berry and typically measures 3–4 cm in diameter. The fruit resembles a slip-skin grape. It has a thick, purple, astringent skin that encases a sweet, white or rosy pink gelatinous flesh. Embedded within the flesh are one to four large seeds, which vary in shape depending on the species. Jaboticaba seeds are recalcitrant and they lose viability within 10 days when stored at room temperature. In Brazil, the fruit of several related species in the Plinia and Myrciaria genera share the same common name.

Production and cultivation

Jaboticabas have been cultivated in Brazil since pre-Columbian times. Today, the fruit is a commercial crop in the center and south of the country. Commercial cultivation of the fruit in the northern hemisphere is more restricted by slow growth and the short shelf-life of fruit than by temperature requirements. Grafted plants may bear fruit in five years, while seed-grown trees may take 10 to 20 years to bear fruit. Jaboticaba trees are fairly adaptable to various kinds of growing conditions, tolerating sand or rich topsoil. They are intolerant of salty soils or salt spray. They are tolerant of mild drought, though fruit production may be reduced, and irrigation will be required in extended or severe droughts. Jaboticaba trees are vulnerable to the rust, Austropuccinia psidii. particularly when the tree flowers during heavy rain. Other important diseases that affect jaboticaba trees are canker (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), dieback (Rosellinia), and fruit rot (Botrytis cinerea).

Uses

Culinary

Common in Brazilian markets, jaboticabas are largely eaten fresh. Fruit may begin to ferment 3 to 4 days after harvest, so it is often used to make jams, tarts, strong wines, and liqueurs. Due to the short shelf-life, fresh jaboticaba is rare in markets outside areas of cultivation. The fruit has been compared to Muscadine grapes, and in Japan the flavor of jaboticaba has been described as similar to that of Kyoho grapes.

Bonsai

Their slow growth and small size when immature make jaboticaba trees popular as bonsai or container ornamental plants in temperate regions. It is a widely used bonsai species in Taiwan and parts of the Caribbean.

Cultural significance

The jaboticaba tree appears as a charge on the coat of arms of Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In Brazilian politics, and less commonly in everyday speech, "jabuticaba" is a slang that describes a political or legal setting that is considered absurd, unusual, or needlessly complex, among others, that could only exist in a country like Brazil. It is a reference to the popular wisdom that jaboticaba trees can only grow in Brazil.

Related species

A number of similar species of plant in the family Myrtaceae produce fruit that is also known by the common name jaboticaba.