The Maqui Berry - A Truly Versatile Fruit

The ancient maqui berry has been consumed andcan be removed, leaving only the colorful juice.
used for centuries by the resilient Mapuche tribe ofWine: Maqui berries can be fermented to create a
South America. The sheer number of uses of thisdark, flavorful wine.
amazing berry is truly astonishing. Throughout the ages,Textile dye: These berries were once widely used as
it has been used in religious ceremonies and in thea textile dye because of their brilliant purple color. The
making of textiles. Here are some of the differentpigment was used to color all types of fabrics and
uses for this amazing little berry.produce vibrantly-colored clothing.
Altar adornment: The Mapuche religion reveres threeSupplement: Today, in Western parts of the world at
plants as sacred, one of which is the maqui tree.least, the most common use of the maqui berry is as
Because the evergreen tree is considered a symbola supplement ingredient. The tasty juice is available in
of peace and goodness, parts of it are placed onconcentrated form, and there are also capsules,
altars during religious ceremonies.powders, and drink mixes.
Food: In areas where the maqui berry grows, it isHealth drink ingredient: Because of recent interest in
harvested and consumed in its fresh state, just likethe maqui berry, many health drink manufacturers
blueberries and strawberries are in America.have begun adding maqui berry extract to their
Juice: Like most other types of fruit, the pulp of berriesproducts.