Berraquera Exotic Dried Fruit
sourced from associations of smallholder farmers in Colombia
Mango
The delicious sweet taste of mango is always a great favourite.
While Mango is native of India, it’s irresistible flavour has taken it around the globe ~ and it has long been cultivated throughout Latin America.
In fact Frutos de los Andes was founded by a young man, whose father is the original Fruandes mango farmer. His dream is where this all started!
By munching on Mango, you are backing not only the families of smallholder farmers, but also those of the team at the drying plant in Tolima.
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Banana
This dried banana is still beautifully chewy and moreish.
Bananas give a natural energy boost, easily digestible pre or post work-out.
Thought to have originated in New Guinea, bananas took off in Africa, and today are among the most popular contents of British shopping baskets!
One of the banana farms that supplies this dried banana is run by a young man from the eastern plains of Vichada. He left an economy dominated by illicit crops, to farm organic bananas in the valleys of Tolima, central Colombia.
By buying Banano you are boosting the potential of young farmers, and investing in the sustainability of rural areas for years to come.
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Pineapple
Perennially popular, pineapple is not only sweet but tangy.
Pineapples are native to Latin America (Brazil), and were named after their resemblance of a pinecone. A symbol of ultimate hospitality in 18th Century Britain, they were even carved in stone atop the gateposts of stately homes.
Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which aids digestion and tenderises other foods such as meat, favouring its use in sweet & sour dishes.
This pineapple is sourced from communities such as the Afro-Colombian pineapple farmers of Santander de Quilichao, Cauca on the Pacific Coast.
By promoting Piña you are multiplying the sweetness of opportunities in regions with a bitter sweet history.
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Pitaya
Pitaya (or Pitahaya) is a cactus fruit, representing Colombia’s biodiversity.
The pink & green pitaya of Thailand led to the name dragon fruit, but Colombia’s pitaya is bright yellow. Its delicate and exotic flower blooms by moonlight.
Dried Pitaya is rather like a wafer, but healthier and more delicious. With its tiny black seeds, it is reminiscent of garibaldi biscuits!
Pitaya is sourced from communities such as Pitalito and Palestina in Huila, where smallholders have created a Pitaya hub in the Andes Cordillera.
By purchasing Pitaya you are backing biodiversity in south central Colombia.
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Uchuva (Physalis)
Physalis, also known as Goldenberry or Cape Gooseberry, is known in Colombia as Uchuva, a little grape (uva is grape). Uchuva is the sweet, little cousin of lulo, growing at higher altitudes in the Andes.
Once dried, Uchuva with its tangy kick becomes a ‘sultana with attitude’. In fact it is more like a super sultana, with significant Vitamin A & C and fibre, while still the lowest calorie fruit in this range.
Uchuva was originally sourced from an association in south west Colombia caught between escalating debt from rotten potatoes and the illicit economy. Thanks to demand from the Mennonites of Canada, the community was provided with a way of escape, cultivating this lovely, life-giving little fruit!
By sharing Uchuva you are backing ethical alternatives in the Andean Highlands.
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A Colombian Fruit Habit
The exotic dried fruit comes in 30g pouches, each is one of your 5-A-Day.
The Cases of 84 Pouches comprise:
- 24 x Mango
- 20 x Banana
- 16 each x Pineapple & Physalis
- 8 x tangy Uchuva
With Berraquera Dried Fruit is good for smallholder families, good for the planet and good for peace in Colombia.
To purchase, click here