The Fruit That Can Turn Anything Blue



The unripe fruit of the jenipapo berry (Genipa americana) contains a substance that turns other things blue. Since 2017, chefs in Brazil have been using the tropical fruit to create startlingly blue foods.  

Jenipapo berries, which can grow anywhere from the size of a kiwi to a melon, are used by Brazilians to make compotes, syrups, and a famous liquor. But it’s the unripe and bitter fruit that has piqued the interest of cooks and chefs all around the country. When it’s unripe, jenipapo contains high amounts of genipin, a substance which reacts with proteins and amino acids in the presence of oxygen or heat, resulting in an edible blue pigment.

Brazilians have long used jenipapo for various purposes. During the colonization of South America, European conquerors reported curiosity about the use of the fruit’s juices as temporary tattoo ink by communities such as the Tupinambás and the Pataxós.

New techniques have been developed to take the bitterness from the unripened fruit, and the results are astonishing. These dishes aren't just faintly blue, they are vividly colored in a hue that will remind you of Pantone's Color of the Year for 2020. See more such creations, and read about the rise of Brazilian blue food at Atlas Obscura.


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