Acai berries (Euterpe oleracea) grow on acai palm trees, a species of palm tree that can grow over 80ft tall. The trees are native to Brazil, Peru, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, growing mostly in flooded plains and swamps. The fruit is about one inch in circumference, has deep purple skin surrounding a large seed and grows in branched clusters of 500-900 fruits. ‘Acai’ is a Portuguese adaptation of the Tupian word ïwaca'i, meaning fruit that "cries or expels water." Traditionally a staple food in its native growing areas, acai became popular outside the region in the mid-1990s.

Acai berries are a rich source of polyphenolic compounds, especially the flavonoids known as anthocyanins, which give the berry its characteristic deep purple color. Acai is high in oleic acid and contains palmitic and linoleic fatty acids. Linoleic acid (omega-6) is an Essential Fatty Acid which the body cannot produce and must obtain through diet. Acai is high in dietary fiber and contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals *