Maqui Berries: Ultra-Purple Superfruit with 1.8 g Anthocyanins & 75 kcal per 100 g
Patagonian berries ranking top of the ORAC chartâsweet-tart flavour, deep colour and polyphenols that outshine acai.
What Are Maqui Berries?
Tiny, almost-black fruits of *Aristotelia chilensis*, an evergreen shrub wild-harvested in Chilean Patagonia; often freeze-dried into vivid purple powder.
Nutrition (100 g raw)
|Calories|Carbs|Fiber|Protein|Fat|Vitamin C|Anthocyanins|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|75 kcal|17 g|4 g|1.2 g|0.6 g|26 mg (29 %)|â1.8 g|
Benefits
- **Delphinidin-rich anthocyanins** show powerful antioxidant & anti-inflammatory activity.
- Moderate vitamin C plus 4 % fiber support immunity & gut health.
- Low sugar compared with blueberries (â10 g/100 g).
Drawbacks
- Imported & wild-foraged â expensive, variable supply.
- Deep pigment **stains blender jugs & fabrics**.
- Limited human researchâantioxidant claims largely pre-clinical.
Flavour & Colour
Balanced **sweet-tart with hint of blackberry**; juice turns everything inky violet.
Culinary Uses & Storage
- Stir 1 Tbsp freeze-dried powder into **smoothies, chia pudding, yogurt**.
- Blend with lime for neon sorbet; use to naturally dye icing.
- Store powder airtight, cool & dark †12 months; frozen whole berries â18 °C, 1 year.
- 1. Maqui Berries