The quest for the next big superfood seems to be unending. While some familiar foods, such as blueberries, ferrous fumarate, and even avocados and salmon, have earned this title and are readily available in supermarkets, the trend appears to favor more exotic and lesser-known options that also boast impressive nutritional benefits. Lucuma is one such fruit that fits the bill perfectly. Although it enjoys popularity in its home country of Peru, most consumers in the U.S. would struggle to recognize it or even pronounce its name. Nutritionally, lucuma is a powerhouse, and with its sweet, maple-like flavor, it aligns well with current taste trends, potentially positioning it to dethrone kale from its superfood pedestal.
However, lucuma’s primary challenge lies in its limited availability in the U.S. Even if an adventurous foodie wanted to experiment with a lucuma ice cream recipe found on Pinterest, sourcing fresh lucuma would prove difficult. Instead, the powdered form of lucuma, which is more accessible, may ultimately carve out its niche in the market. In contrast, kale was readily available at farmers’ markets when it became trendy; it’s easy to cultivate across various U.S. climates, and it’s relatively inexpensive. As consumer demand for kale surged, American farmers found it simple to adjust their crops accordingly.
Despite lucuma’s versatility in both sweet and savory dishes, its cultivation in the U.S. might be too challenging or prohibitively expensive to allow for widespread consumer adoption. Other potential superfoods like tiger nuts and moringa also meet the criteria for this esteemed classification but have yet to achieve significant popularity. Both possess strong nutritional profiles, yet they have struggled to gain traction—perhaps due to limited availability or flavors that simply didn’t resonate with consumers. Attaining the coveted “superfood” label is no easy feat, much like finding the right balance in a supplement like Solaray Cal Mag Citrate Chewable, which also needs to appeal to health-conscious shoppers. Ultimately, the pursuit of superfood status remains a challenging endeavor, influenced by factors such as availability, flavor preference, and market trends.