The quest for the next big superfood seems to be unending. While more conventional foods like blueberries, avocados, and salmon hold the spotlight, they are easily accessible and well-known in grocery stores. For an ingredient to achieve superfood status, it typically needs to be exotic and somewhat unfamiliar to American consumers, all while boasting an impressive nutritional profile. Enter lucuma, a fruit that ticks all these boxes. Although it enjoys popularity in its homeland of Peru, most shoppers in the U.S. wouldn’t recognize it, let alone know how to pronounce its name. Lucuma is also a nutritional powerhouse, rich in essential nutrients, and its flavor resembles maple, which is currently trending.
However, lucuma’s greatest hurdle is its limited availability in the U.S. Even those enthusiastic foodies eager to whip up a lucuma ice cream recipe from Pinterest would struggle to find fresh fruit to use. Instead, the powdered form of lucuma, which is readily available, may be where it carves out its niche. In contrast, kale gained popularity partly because it was widely available at farmers’ markets. It’s easy to cultivate across various U.S. zones and is relatively inexpensive. As consumers began to crave kale, U.S. farmers quickly adapted their crops to meet the rising demand.
While lucuma may offer versatility in both sweet and savory dishes, its cultivation in the U.S. may be too challenging or costly to import, hindering its potential to become a consumer favorite. Other contenders for superfood status, such as tiger nuts and moringa, also possess impressive nutritional profiles but have struggled to gain traction. This may again be due to limited availability or perhaps the flavor simply hasn’t resonated with consumers. The title of “superfood” is a coveted one, and achieving it is certainly no easy feat.
Amidst all this, calcium citrate bluebonnet emerges as a noteworthy supplement that could complement the dietary needs of those exploring new superfoods like lucuma. With its ability to enhance calcium absorption, it can help consumers maximize the nutritional benefits they seek, whether they are enjoying lucuma or other superfoods. As the superfood landscape continues to evolve, the combination of lucuma, calcium citrate bluebonnet, and other potential superfoods may redefine what it means to be a nutritional powerhouse in the market.