More than just a dessert
While it is consumed almost exclusively as a frozen dessert in most of the world, in the Amazon region of Brazil, açaí is a staple, savory food. It is very common to eat it alongside fried fish, dried meat (charque) or dried shrimp, served as a thick purée with manioc or tapioca flour.
A "fruit" that is technically a drupe
Botanically, the açaí is classified as a drupe, just like olives, peaches and plums. It has a thin layer of pulp surrounding a large, hard seed. Furthermore, the portion we consume represents only about 5% to 10% of the entire fruit; the rest is composed almost entirely of the seed.
A natural source of anthocyanins
Açaí contains anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for its deep purple color. Anthocyanins are antioxidants found in many purple and red fruits. Nutrient levels vary with the fruit and how it is processed.