The rural area of São Pedro has trees full of a typical fruit of this region: the jaracatiá. The jaracatiá is a fruit native to Brazil, and is from the papaya family. However, it is not as easy to eat as its cousin: it has an acidic milk that scares even the birds. Therefore, it is also known as “ bravo papaya ”.
“To consume it, it is necessary to extract the milk first, because the milk from the jaracatiá really burns. It is acidic and burns the skin,” says producer Du Modesto, who teaches how to make jaracatiá usable.
The fruit is used to make sweet foods and snacks. And growers can take advantage of every aspect of the tree: the stem is grated and gives rise to the caipira cocada, typical of São Pedro. With the fruit, it is even possible to make beer, cachaça and even ice cream.
Source: abrafrutas.org