Calafate Secrets

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s the greatest source of antioxidants on the planet, the Calafate is considered a superfood because it protects organisms from cellular aging. The Chile Saludable research, developed by Gfk Adimark and Fundación Chile, also indicates that this berry has a great economic potential, since there are several areas in which it could be developed…

Calafate is a wild, bluish-black native berry that grows from the Maule Region southward, mainly in Chilean and Argentine Patagonia.

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Calafate is a wild, bluish-black native berry that grows from the Maule Region southward, mainly in Chilean and Argentine Patagonia. This fruit has become a protagonist in the refined cuisine, because it is used in different ways such as tea, jam or liqueur to flavor sweets and alcoholic beverages in craft way.
Calafate is considered a natural superfood because it is the greatest antioxidant source on the planet, which means that protects the organism from cellular aging

“In addition to taking advantage of the antioxidants present in the fruit, the presence of anthocyanins in Calafate makes it an excellent natural colorant. This specialty has increased its demand in recent years, because the food industry is looking for harmless pigments of natural origin to add to products, but that also contribute functionally to the nutritional content,” explains the Project Manager at Chile Foundation, Verónica Larenas.

Although the fruit harvest does not reach large volumes, there are several projects in the country to increase its value. One of them is manufacturing Calafate as a freeze-dried product, which means that it is converted into a powder that retains all its functional characteristics to be used as an ingredient in food and beverages.

The exclusivity that characterizes Calafate has its origin in the characteristics of its plant, as the expert from Fundación Chile adds. “This shrub has thorns of up to three centimeters that are distributed in groups, which makes it difficult and pauses the berry harvesting. In addition, there are currently no Calafate commercial crops and it only grows in the wild, although there are initiatives that are addressing its domestication,” she points out.