Poraqueiba sericea "Umari"

Poraqueiba sericea, also known as "Umari," is a rare and prized fruit that grows in the Amazonian jungle at the border of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its value is reflected in its price, which is influenced by the size of the seed and the difficulty of sourcing and cleaning it to pass inspection.

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The Umari tree thrives in the natural habitat of the Amazon River in Peru, where the necessary climate conditions for its growth can be found. The fruit begins to appear in the third year of the tree's life, and the harvest season is between January and April. The Umari fruit has an oval shape and smooth yellow, red, or black peel, depending on the variety and degree of ripeness. The pulp has an oily consistency and covers a the middle layer of pericarp, the fleshy part of some fruitmesocarp that contains just one seed.

Indigenous communities in the Amazonian jungle have utilized the Umari fruit in various ways for centuries. Its intense aroma and buttery texture make it an ideal vegetable butter to spread on bread, such as "casabe," which is a bread made from yuca starch. The seeds are used to ferment starch, which is then used to make a type of Casabe called "Casabe de pepa de Umari" in the Colombian part of the Amazon basin. In the Maynas Peruvian province, growing in a particular place; nativeindigenous communities make a non-alcoholic drink called "Cahuana" by mashing the Umari fruit pulp with yuca starch to obtain a dense liquid.

Unfortunately, due to climate change and increasing deforestation of the Amazon basin, the number of Umari trees is decreasing. However, the knowledge of the culinary use of the fruit and seed represents heritage of the local communities, and it is essential to preserve it.