Guarana, Cupana, Fruits of youth

Where does Guarana grow?

Found in: Amazon, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, North America, Peru, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela

Notes: There are 180 Paullinia species. All except P. pinnata are in tropical America. The seeds contain caffeine which acts as a stimulant. The caffeine content is higher than coffee or tea. The seeds are 2.7-5.8% caffeine.

Status: Large numbers of bottles of guarana soft drink are sold in Brazil.

Growing Guarana, Cupana, Fruits of youth

Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. Seed need to be sown very fresh. Seeds can become non viable after 72 hours in storage. Seeds may take 100 days to germinate. Plants are fertilized by bees. It grows on poor acid soils. The soil pH is 3.5-4.5. It cn grow in soils with high concentration of aluminium. A spacing of 4-5 m part is used. Cuttings and grafts can be used with misting chambers.

Edible Uses: The seeds are extracted and roasted and used as a stimulant. It contains caffeine. The seeds are roasted for several hours then beaten into a paste and smoked for about 2 months before being ground in a powder. It is used as a stimulant in water and used to flavour drinks. They are used as the base for a drink called guarana.

Nutrition Info

References

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