Subtotal $0.00
Shop Now
Jabuticaba is a dark, grape-like fruit from Brazil famous for where it grows: straight out of the trunk and branches of the tree, so a fruiting jabuticaba tree looks studded with grapes. The fruit has a thick, tart skin around sweet pulp, and it is eaten fresh where it grows or turned into juice, liqueur and wine. One fact matters for anyone looking for numbers: the USDA SR Legacy database, the standard reference behind most nutrition tables, has no jabuticaba entry, so this guide gives no jabuticaba nutrient values it cannot source. Below is what jabuticaba is, how the jabuticaba tree bears fruit, how to eat jabuticaba, and what research can and cannot say.
Peptide Labs does not sell jabuticaba or jabuticaba products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Jabuticaba is the fruit of Plinia cauliflora and related Plinia species in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, the family of guava.
- The tree flowers and fruits directly on its trunk and branches, which makes harvesting slow.
- The fruit is highly perishable, which is why much of the crop is turned into juice, liqueur or wine.
- To eat jabuticaba, squeeze the fruit so the pulp pops out of the skin, and discard the seeds.
- USDA SR Legacy has no jabuticaba entry; the nearest listed relatives are pitanga and guava.
- A 2021 review notes that human studies of the fruit are still lacking, so no health claims are made here.
What is jabuticaba?
Jabuticaba, also spelled jaboticaba, is the name for several fruit trees in the genus Plinia. A 2026 genetics study notes that the genus belongs to Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, and that some of its species are so similar in appearance that their classification is hard to settle. One commonly studied species is Plinia cauliflora; some papers use its older name, Myrciaria cauliflora. Relatives in the same family include guava and pitanga, also called Surinam cherry.
A 2025 food-science paper describes jaboticaba as a native fruit of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest that is also found in Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. The fruit is round and about 2 to 4 centimeters across. Pitanga comes from the same forest region, according to a 2025 genome study, which makes it a useful point of comparison later in this guide.
The jabuticaba tree: fruit on the trunk
The jabuticaba tree is a striking example of a plant that flowers on its trunk. A 2024 genome paper explains that the tree blossoms and bears fruit on its trunk and branches, with flowers, unripe fruits and ripe fruits mixed together on the bark. The same paper notes that the fruits resemble grapes in appearance and texture and are sometimes called “treegrapes.” That growth habit has a practical downside: the 2025 paper lists the complicated harvest from trunk and branches, together with a long juvenile phase before trees start bearing, among the reasons fresh jabuticaba is hard to sell commercially.
The trees can be long-lived. In a 2024 study of wild stands of a related species, Plinia peruviana, in the southwest of the Brazilian state of Parana, researchers used growth rings to date trees at roughly 75 to 100 years old. The stands were dense enough to have their own name, jaboticabais, and the authors inferred that Indigenous people and caboclos who lived in the region helped spread the trees.
How to eat jabuticaba
A 2021 study describes the flavor as sweet and slightly acid. Fresh jabuticaba fruit is usually eaten out of hand, much like grapes with thick skins:
- Pop the pulp: place the fruit between your teeth or fingers and squeeze gently so the soft pulp slips out of the skin.
- Mind the seeds: most people spit the seeds out rather than chew them.
- The skin: the dark skin is thick and tart, and many people discard it after squeezing out the pulp. Researchers have turned peels into flours and natural food colorings.
- Juice and drinks: because the fruit spoils quickly, much of the crop becomes juice, liqueur or wine. A 2025 study analyzed jabuticaba juice, liqueur and wines from Brazil.
- Storage: keep fresh fruit cold and use it soon; freeze whole fruit or pulp if you cannot eat it quickly.
If you enjoy fruits that you peel or squeeze open, our guides to lychee, rambutan and mangosteen cover three more tropical options.
Why fresh jabuticaba is hard to find
Food scientists describe jabuticaba as highly perishable. A 2025 study explains that its delicate cell structure and rapid changes after harvest make it spoil quickly, and a 2021 juice study made the same point. That is why researchers are testing ways to freeze, juice and dry the fruit, and why juice makers end up with large amounts of leftover skins, seeds and pulp. For readers outside Brazil, frozen pulp and juice are the realistic ways to taste it; fresh fruit appears mainly where the trees are grown.
Jabuticaba nutrition: what USDA does and does not list
USDA SR Legacy has no entry for jabuticaba, jaboticaba, Plinia or Myrciaria cauliflora, so this guide does not quote jabuticaba calories, fiber or vitamin numbers. The table shows the closest USDA entries, clearly labeled. Pitanga and guava are in the same plant family; American-type grapes are included only because the fruits look and feel alike. None of these numbers describe jabuticaba. %DV uses FDA Daily Values.
| USDA SR Legacy entry, raw, per 100 g (not jabuticaba) | Calories | Carbohydrate (%DV) | Fiber (%DV) | Potassium (%DV) | Vitamin C (%DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitanga (Surinam cherry), FDC 169129, same family | 33 | 7.5 g (3%) | Not reported | 103 mg (2%) | 26.3 mg (29%) |
| Guava, common, FDC 173044, same family | 68 | 14.3 g (5%) | 5.4 g (19%) | 417 mg (9%) | 228.3 mg (254%) |
| Grapes, American type (slip skin), FDC 174682, look-alike | 67 | 17.2 g (6%) | 0.9 g (3%) | 191 mg (4%) | 4.0 mg (4%) |
The comparison shows how much fruits in one family can differ: in USDA data, pitanga and guava are far apart in calories, fiber and vitamin C, so neither number can stand in for jabuticaba. Our vitamin C foods list has more USDA values for guava and other fruits. What laboratory analyses do report is the type of pigments involved: a 2021 study of five jabuticaba types found anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside and delphinidin-3-glucoside in the peels, and compounds called ellagitannins in the pulp and seeds. Those findings describe composition, not an effect in people.
What research on jabuticaba can and cannot say
Jabuticaba draws plenty of laboratory interest. A 2021 review counted around 200 recent articles, yet concluded that the scientific literature still lacks studies of how its compounds behave in humans. The human research found for this guide is a small 2025 pilot trial of a concentrated peel product, not the fresh fruit, and a pilot trial cannot show what eating jabuticaba does. For that reason this guide makes no health claims for jabuticaba; it is an unusual fruit worth trying for its flavor.
Jabuticaba is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, but FDA notes that more than 160 other foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions. Hives, swelling or breathing trouble after eating any fruit needs urgent care; for milder or unclear symptoms, see an allergist and read our elimination diet guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is jabuticaba?
Jabuticaba is a dark, grape-like fruit from Brazil, from trees in the genus Plinia in the myrtle family. It grows directly on the trunk and branches.
What does jabuticaba taste like?
Researchers describe it as sweet and slightly acid. The pulp is soft and grape-like, while the skin is thick and tart.
How do you eat jabuticaba?
Squeeze the fruit so the pulp pops out of the skin, eat the pulp and discard the seeds. Many people skip the thick skin.
Does USDA list jabuticaba nutrition?
No. USDA SR Legacy has no jabuticaba entry. The nearest relatives listed are pitanga and guava, shown in the table above, and they are different fruits.
Why does jabuticaba grow on the trunk?
The tree blossoms and bears fruit on its trunk and branches, as a 2024 genome paper describes, and flowers, unripe fruits and ripe fruits can appear together on the bark.
Why is fresh jabuticaba hard to find?
The fruit is highly perishable, harvest from the trunk is slow, and young trees need a long time before they start bearing.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Avocado Nutrition: Calories, Fiber and California vs Florida Avocados, Grapes: Benefits, USDA Nutrition, Red vs Green and Research, Foods High in Antioxidants: USDA Chart and What the Science Says.