Euterpe Edulis

The assai palm of Para. It grows in swampy lands,

and produces a small fruit thinly coated with clotted flesh of

which the inhabitants of Para manufacture a beverage called assai.

The ripe fruits are soaked in warm water and kneaded until the

fleshy pulp is detached. This, when strained, is of a thick,

creamy consistence, and, when thickened with cassava farina and

sweetened with sugar, forms a nutritious diet, and is the daily

food of a large number of the people.