Acerola is the delicious fruit that is born in the tree called aceroleira, whose scientific name is Malpighia emarginata. Originally from the Antilles, Central, North and South America, acerola was introduced in Brazil by the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco in 1955, in Pernambuco. Through seeds from Puerto Rico, acerola eventually spread throughout the Northeast and other regions of the country.

The cultivation of acerola grew from the late twentieth century, and today the fruit is very present in cultivations of northeastern Brazil, especially in the frozen fruit pulp agro-industry.