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Latin Name/Nombre Latino: Malpighia emarginata
Family: Malpighiaceae
Other names: Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry, acerola
Culinary use
Antilles cherries are best eaten fresh, soon after harvest. They can be pureed, juiced, or cooked down into jams, jellies, or syrups, and are used in sweets, ice creams and desserts. Its leaves can also be dried to make teas.
Medicinal use
These berries are one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. They have astringent, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, stimulant and diuretic properties. In traditional medicine, they have been used as a remedy for diarrhea, dysentry, fever, anemia, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver conditions, rheumatism and tuberculosis.