More than 16,000 km from Perth, deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest grows a berry: The acai berry.

Originally recognised for its nutritional value, the berry has taken some advice from Phileas Fogg, making its way Around the World in 80 Days (give or take) and into dessert bars globally, including here in Perth.

But has acai overstayed its welcome as just another food trend in Australia, or has it made a name for itself alongside the likes of froyo?

Andrew Moyes of The Acai Corner, a food truck primarily based in South Perth, promotes acai as a nutritional superfood rather than a dessert. He believes the acai wave is only getting started.

“We’ve got three food trucks. We’re looking to expand, but we want to do it in a way [that enables us] to control that expansion. It’s still me and my partner, we started a business and we still run the day-to-day of it all. But for us, it’s just kind of more that organic growth.”

“We’re 10 years into our business, and it feels like we’re only getting started in terms of how popular acai is becoming.”

The Acai Corner imports all of its acai directly from Brazil, after Mr Moyes and his partner Maddie Russell spent time backpacking in the region in the 2010s, learning the ins-and-outs of the local berry.

Acai has drawn comparisons to frozen yogurt (froyo) stores, such as Yo-Chi, as a popular go-to health food but Mr Moyes believes that his business and Yo-Chi can coexist as stores that cater to customers at different periods of the day.

“I think Yo-Chi and that kind of market is done so well for the afternoon and evening market, and we operate more in the breakfast and lunchtime acai market.”

Mr Moyes identified how his business differed in their presentation of acai as a nutritional superfood compared to other acai stores in Perth, stating “Our store is a bit different. There’s two different kind of markets that acai is centred in. We’ve found that sweet spot. We have a more natural product, and then we [offer] a sweeter product” that is similar to popular froyo flavours.

The Acai Corner made its way onto the South Perth foreshores almost seven years before another independent acai store arrived in Perth, but Mr Moyes doesn’t see himself as a trailblazer for acai in the city.

“I think we were just a bit ahead of the curve. We came in at a time when we had to explain to every customer that came through our door what acai was, what it’s going to taste like, how it’s made …”

Studies show that acai’s global market size is expected to increase to around US$2 billion (A$2.85 billion) by 2030.

Nabil’s Acai Station, based in Ballajura and Mount Lawley, offers a more sweet-tooth friendly take on acai, sourced directly from the Amazon rainforest, where over 72% of global acai supply originates.

Inspired by its emergence in Sydney circa 2022, Nabil’s Acai Station owner Mahmoud Rahal took the opportunity to bring acai to his business in 2024, stating that “from there it basically just took off. We’ve been doing it since.”

However, Mr Rahal doesn’t believe that acai can hold its own against froyo stores such as Yo-Chi, and that the two shouldn’t be compared due to their differences.

Although Nabil’s Acai Station is known for its Dubai Chocolate range which includes a “Dubai acai” bowl, Mr Rahal confirmed that the store offers healthy options alongside its desserts: “We’ve got healthy options as well. It comes down to what the customer wants. If they want a healthier acai, we’ve got passion fruit, blueberries, bananas, strawberries and granola. For that bowl, you’re looking at 450 calories.”

Mr Rahal highlighted concern about caloriesin desserts saying: “everyone’s counting calories. Even if they don’t want to, they’re counting.

“If you [visit] our shop for instance, a regular [bowl] with biscoff, you’re looking at 600 calories, which is not bad. It’s filling.”

Mr Rahal isn’t the only person in Perth to jump onboard the acai trend, and he suggested that Perth has more than enough stores to cater its population.

“I think for the amount of stores there are, Perth is different to over-East. You can have 30 shops within a 15km radius in the East and they’ll all be busy. The population here isn’t as much as compared to over-East, but I think there’s a good amount of acai shops. Again, it all goes down to the marketing.”

As summer approaches, you can look to the acai stores to beat the heat and indulge in a dessert-loaded or nutritious fruit-packed bowl to taste the trend for yourself.