Ecology:
– Astrocaryum murumuru is abundant in the Brazilian Amazon, extending to the borders of Bolivia and Peru.
– It prefers to grow in periodically flooded areas, especially on islands and in lowlands along the rivers throughout the Amazon River estuary and its tributaries, in dense or semi-open forests.
– The stem, leaves, and fruit stalks are covered with hard, black spines that can reach over 20cm in length.
– When the fruit is ripe, the inflorescence drops to the ground.
– A single Murumuru palm produces about 11kg of dry seeds.
Astrocaryum murumuru butter:
– Murumuru butter contains lauric, myristic, and oleic acids.
– The quality of Murumuru butter is similar to the seed fat of the Tucumã palm and coconut palm.
– It has the advantage of providing greater consistency due to its melting point.
– It can be used to partially substitute cocoa butter in chocolate.
– Murumuru butter has a low acidity value, reducing the cost of refinement.
Uses:
– Murumuru butter is used in small amounts in shampoos, conditioners, creams, soaps, lipsticks, and deodorants.
– It was highly valued in Europe and the United States during the 1940s and 1950s.
– Soaps containing Murumuru butter together with Ucuuba butter leave a protection layer on the skin.
– The butter is odorless and tasteless and has the advantage of not becoming rancid easily.
– It can be mixed with other vegetable butters that have a lower melting point.
Cultivation:
– The Murumuru palm prefers to grow in periodically flooded areas.
– The fruit contains a yellow flesh often consumed by rodents as food.
– 100kg of dry seeds yields 27kg to 29kg of kernels.
– Hydraulic extraction can produce 35% oil relative to the dry weight of the kernel.
– Seed germination is moderate and growth in the field is slow.
Historical Significance:
– Murumuru butter was used as an ingredient in vegetable creams and soaps in Europe and the United States during the 1940s and 1950s.
– Today, it is used in various cosmetic products due to its protective and moisturizing properties.
– Murumuru butter can provide a firmer consistency in products like chocolate.
– It has been valued for its low acidity value, especially when made from fresh seeds.
– The butter is film-forming, glossy, and contains vitamins and oleic acid.