Açaí
This delightfully refreshing berry is blended with banana and guarana and served either as a juice for a quick picker upper or “na tigela” in a bowl with sliced bananas and granola on top.  The fruit is packed with antioxidants and is a supposed aphrodisiac.  The seeds are used in jewelry in both their natural color or dyed in various shades.  Red can really make a bold statement.

Carana
A flowering palm tree found in the Amazon.

Fish scales 
The northeast is filled with fishing villages as well as isolated shacks along the beach. Some of the fishermen live in isolation, only traveling to nearby villages for staples, and to sell their fish.  The scales are from the cangurupi, a strong shiny fish.  The meat is used for food.

Grevilha
The small long black grevilha seed is from the flowering plant with a red and yellow flower.

Guapuruvu
The trunk of the Guapuruvu tree was used by native Brazilians to make canoes.  The tree is found in secondary rainforests. According to the Indian legend, finding a seed of Guapuruvu was a sign of prosperity.

Jarina
Jarina is smooth creamy seed that is known as the “vegetable ivory.”  Although it comes from a palm tree from the Amazon region, the appearance is similar to elephants’ ivory.  It’s naturally brown in color but after polishing, the smooth white color in revealed.

Jatoba
The jatoba tree is a canopy tree with a red flower and pod with an edible pulp and 3 to 4 seeds.  The wood is very strong, 125% harder than oak.

Jupati
The jupati tree is native to northern Brazil and its seed is commonly used in jewelry.  Some times it’s used in its entire state and sometimes as decorative slice, quarters, or pieces.  The seed is tan with darker brown lines that make for an interesting pattern.

Morototó
This is a tropical tree with a long straight trunk.  It can also be found in other parts of Brazil.  Birds and other small animals eat the small tan seeds.

Murumuru
Murumuru is a palm tree found in the Amazon.  The edible fruit is red with a yellow pulp. The seed, shiny and black, is also used in margarine production and moisturizing creams.

Olho-do-Boi  (Eye of the Ox)
Believed by natives to protect against jealousy and bad intentions.

Patauá
The tree is used to produce wine and an oil similar to olive oil.  The fruit, like açaí is full of antioxidants and amino acids.

Pau Brasil  (Caesalpinia echinata)  
The tree is famous for it strong reddish shiny wood.  It’s known as the Brazil wood tree and produces a yellow flower and a shiny red seed.

Paxiubão (Socratea Exorrhiza)
The seed comes from the walking palm, a tree that appears to be on stilts since the roots are above ground and can shift.  The inner part of the root is used as a male aphrodisiac.  Natives used the trunk to make bows and arrows.

Tacuma
A spiny Amazonian palm.

Vagem tropical