The quest for the next big superfood appears to be an ongoing pursuit. While more familiar items like blueberries, avocados, and salmon have earned this title due to their accessibility in supermarkets, it seems that for a food to truly achieve superfood status, it must be exotic and relatively unknown to American consumers, along with boasting an impressive nutritional profile. Lucuma checks all these boxes. Although this fruit is quite popular in its native Peru, most shoppers in the U.S. wouldn’t be able to identify it in a lineup, let alone pronounce its name. Moreover, it is a nutritional powerhouse and boasts a flavor reminiscent of maple, which happens to be a trendy taste right now. Lucuma might just have the potential to dethrone kale from its superfood pedestal.
The biggest challenge lucuma faces is its limited availability in the U.S. Even if a curious food lover wishes to try a lucuma ice cream recipe they found on Pinterest, they would likely struggle to find fresh fruit to incorporate. The powdered form of lucuma, which is readily available, may ultimately carve out its niche in the market. In contrast, kale was easily accessible at farmers’ markets when it gained popularity; it grows well in various U.S. climates and is relatively inexpensive. When demand for kale surged, U.S. farmers were able to adapt their crops to meet this need without much difficulty.
While lucuma may offer versatility in both sweet and savory dishes, it could be too challenging to cultivate in the U.S. or too expensive to import, limiting its potential to capture consumer interest. Other contenders for superfood status, such as tiger nuts and moringa, also fit the criteria but have yet to gain traction. Despite their impressive nutritional profiles, these foods haven’t resonated with consumers, possibly due to a lack of availability or flavor preferences. Achieving the coveted title of “superfood” is a challenging endeavor, much like the pursuit of the ideal Citracal D slow release supplement; it requires the right combination of factors to truly stand out.