🌳 Tropical Fruits, the World's Largest Cashew Tree, and Cashew Island
- Profa. Ana
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
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🍉 The Sweetest Fruits of Brazil (Level A1/A2)
Brazil is a tropical country and has many fruits. The fruits are native and very tasty!
The Mango 🥭 is one of the most popular. It is sweet and juicy. Other sweet and beloved fruits are Watermelon 🍉, Acerola (Barbados Cherry), and Seriguela (Hog Plum).
The Cashew (Caju) is the fruit of the Cashew Tree (Cajueiro), and the cashew nut is famous worldwide. Guava (Goiaba) is used to make guava paste (goiabada), a very traditional sweet that is served with cheese. We also have the Cajá (Taperebá), widely used to make pulps and ice creams.
The Pineapple 🍍 (Abacaxi) is also native and is the largest fruit we can use to make refreshing juices. In Brazil, people eat fruit at breakfast and for dessert. Eating native fruits is one of the best ways to taste the flavor of Brazil!
🌳 B1/B2 Curiosity: The World's Largest Cashew Tree (Level B1/B2)
O The Cashew is not only famous for its nut. It is the protagonist of a true botanical phenomenon in Brazil.
In the city of Parnamirim, near Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), you can find the World's Largest Cashew Tree (Maior Cajueiro do Mundo). This singular tree covers an impressive extent: nearly 8,500 square meters, the equivalent of a football field! Its enormous canopy makes it look like an entire forest.
This unrestrained growth is the result of a genetic mutation that causes its branches, upon touching the ground, to create new roots, as if they were independent trees. It is a tourist attraction that impresses due to its longevity and incredible productivity.
The relevance of the cashew tree in the Northeast is so significant that Piauí also boasts its own Giant Cashew Tree in the city of Cajueiro da Praia, and the famous Cashew Island (Ilha do Caju), an ecological sanctuary on the coast. This fact highlights the cultural and biological relevance of the cashew in the Brazilian Northeast.
❓Comprehension and Vocabulary Exercise
1. What does the text say about the Pineapple (Abacaxi)?
a) It is small and sour.
b) It is the largest fruit we can use to make juices.
c) It is not native to Brazil.
d) It only grows in winter.
2. What is the fruit of the Cashew tree (Cajueiro)?
a) Mango.
b) Cashew (Caju).
c) Guava.
d) Pineapple.
3. What is Guava (Goiaba) used to make?
a) Cheese bread (Pão de queijo).
b) Guava paste (Goiabada).
c) Flour (Farinha).
d) Black bean stew (Feijoada).
4. The word 'juicy' (suculenta) about the Mango means the fruit has:
a) Little water.
b) A lot of juice or liquid.
c) A salty taste.
d) A hard shell.
5. When do people in Brazil usually eat fruit?
a) Only at dinner.
b) At breakfast and for dessert.
c) Only at lunch.
d) Never.
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Answer Key: 1) b; 2) b; 3) b; 4) b; 5) b
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