Have you ever heard of lucuma fruit? It’s a tropical fruit that is native to Peru. The lucuma tree grows in the Andean regions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Though lucuma has been used medicinally for centuries by indigenous cultures in South America, it’s only recently that this super food has begun to get attention from western countries.

What is Lucuma Fruit?

Lucuma fruit is a subtropical fruit that originates in South America. It’s known for its sweet and nutty flavour, similar to maple syrup or molasses with just a hint of vanilla.

The lucuma tree bears yellow-orange fruits which are dried and used as a natural sweetener, usually served alone as a delicacy or blended into beverages, smoothies and desserts.

Lucuma’s similarities to popular syrups and its amazing flavour makes it perfect for chocolate bars!

Local History Of Lucuma:

The fruit was first seen and reported by Europeans in Ecuador in 1531 whilst exploring the Incan Empire.

Lucuma fruit is native to the Andes, particular valleys found in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and of course, Peru!

Lucuma is known by the local people of Peru as the “Gold of the Incas”, and has been cherished for centuries, both as a staple food source, and a religious offering associated with fertility.

Depictions of the lucuma fruit have been found on many different artefacts around burial sites of indigenous Peruvian people. Often, the Moche people chose to have images of fruit and vegetables around them as they had a great love of agriculture. This love transcends death for many Peruvians!

Lucuma Benefits:

The lucuma fruit is unusual because its flesh has an almost caramel-like flavour while containing very little sugar content – making it perfect for people looking for low sugar dairy free chocolate alternatives! Not only does lucuma have a low glycaemic index (meaning it won’t cause drastic spikes in blood glucose levels), but also contains significant amounts of vitamin B3 or niacin, vitamin B17 or amygdalin and beta carotene.

The lucuma fruit has been used traditionally to help increase energy levels since it contains high concentrations of iron, calcium and phosphorus along with being abundant in fibre. It’s also rich in protein which is essential for muscle growth & repair.

Lucuma fruit powder is an excellent source of carbohydrates from dietary fibre which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Don’t be surprised if lucuma fruit powder becomes the next big superfood; lucuma is truly one of nature’s unsung heroes!

FUN FACT: Lucuma is the most popular flavour of ice cream in Peru.

Why We Love Lucuma!

Here at Mr Popple’s Chocolate, we have a great love for lucuma! We really appreciate what this little fruit has to offer. It makes our chocolate sweet and nutty but has way more nutritional value than your average sugar.

Lucuma has half of the carbohydrates and 75% less actual sugar content than when compared with regular sugar. This is a really important quality for us, as it is our desire to make chocolate healthier! Breaking the stigma surrounding bad health and chocolate is a major goal for all of us at Mr Popple’s Chocolate.

Adding lucuma to our chocolate bars is just one of the ways we are able to make super tasty chocolate, whilst still being considerate to our bodies!

If you’re health conscious but have an undeniable sweet tooth, why not check out our range of ethical and health conscious chocolate at mrpoppleschocolate.co.uk