Feira do Açaí

The Feira do Açaí (Açaí Fair in English) is a public trading post, an open-air market for the commercialization of açaí, a small port area, and a set of bars, which is part of the Ver-o-Peso Complex, located on the shores of the Guajará Bay in the district of Cidade Velha, in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil. The fair is surrounded by the Castelo Fort (1616), the Relógio Square, and the Doca da embarcações (1803 - fish fair).

The fair supplies the city via river with fruit in natura from the açaí palm, coming from the  riverside communities that live in the insular area of Belém, with 329.9361 km2 composed of forty-two islands. The place offers tourists the sight of the movement (comings and goings) of the porters and vendors with their pots full of fruit.

Açaí has a deep impact on the region's population, with a consumption in liters twice as high as milk consumption.

Located in the Historic Center of Belém, near the Feliz Lusitânia complex, the fair also contains bars.

Michel Pinho, president of the Cultural Foundation of Belém (Fumbel), stated that the city is going through a rescue of several cultures and the return of a local musical tradition in 2022, where the Açaí Fair resumes with carimbó, samba, and other events; such as the popular initiative projects "carimbó no caroço" and "fé no batuque".

Açaí
The consumption of açaí is well-spread across Brazil given its nutritional value, being more present in Northerner's diets. However, it has been in the indigenous people's diets since pre-Colombian times.

The açaí comes from a palm tree and is a dark purple berry containing a proportionally large pit and little pulp. In Brazil, it is the symbol of the state of Pará and grows spontaneously in the Amazon floodplains. It is very present in the urban agricultural production of the insular area of Belém, supplied mainly by the river.

To be consumed, the açaí must first go through a pulping machine or be mashed by hand so that the pulp is detached from the seed/pit and. After being mixed with water, it becomes a thick juice known as "vinho do açaí" ("açaí wine"). In the North region, this is commonly mixed with manioc flour or tapioca starch in a bowl, forming a "pirão", accompanied by fried fish or fried beef.

Functioning
The fair operates in the early hours of the morning, with the unloading of tons of açaí distributed in various paneiros (straw baskets) taken from the boats (nicknamed "pô-pô-pô") that anchor there, negotiated in the old supply/demand style. From there the açaí is processed in the neighborhoods of the capital.

Statistics
The state of Pará produces about 820 thousand tons of açaí per year, corresponding to 85% of national production, making it the largest producer in the country. Most of the fruit remains in the state: 60% is consumed in the region, 30% is transported to other Brazilian states, and 10% is exported abroad.

Historical site
The fair is part of the architectural and landscape complex of Ver-o-Peso, listed by IPHAN in 1977, which comprises an area of 35 thousand square meters, with a series of historical buildings, including the Boulevard Castilhos França, the Meat Market, the Fish Market, the Siqueira Campos Square, the Açaí Fair, the Castle Hill, and the Pescador Square.