Priprioca Story

A long time ago, in a village in the Amazon River region, there was an Indian named Piripiri. He was a beautiful, mysterious Indian, who gave off a perfume so soft that the girls in the village were intoxicated with passion. They always chased him and tried to grab him, but he turned into a cloud of smoke and disappeared. Desperate with passion, they went to the Shaman Supi to find out how to arrest Piripiri, and he told them to arrest the Indian with his hair. That same night, while Piripiri slept, they tied the Indian's feet with his hair and fell asleep beside him. When they woke up, Piripiri had disappeared, and in his place was a plant that had the same perfume as him. The shaman then told them that Piripiri had risen to the skies and become Arapari, the constellation of Cruzeiro do Sul. From then on, the girls of the tribe began to bathe and wash their hair with an infusion of that plant that had appeared in the bed of Piripiri, and thus conquer the men of the village. This plant is called priprioca, which comes from piripirioca, that is, the house of Piripiri (legend of the Manaus Indians, registered by Brandão de Amorim in 1926, from the original Tupi)

Cultivation and commercialization of Priprioca

The cultivation, commercialization, and use of priprioca by perfumery companies dates back to more than 30 years. Long ago Priprioca already existed as the main ingredient of the enchanting scent baths used by people from Pará in the festivities of São João and in the end of year celebrations. Over time, the use of this root has become an important source of income for families of rural producers and marketers in the state of Pará, such as those working in the Ver-O-Peso market in Belém.

Today, with the advancement of the food and pharmaceutical industry, Priprioca is very important for the livelihood of the caboclos of Ilha de Cotijuba, district of Belém, and of the municipalities of Santo Antônio do Tauá and AcaráAnyone who wants to enjoy the good smell of this aromatic plant without burdening their pockets, can look for the Ver-O-Peso market, a postcard from Belém, or regional product stores, where sachets - small paper envelopes that bring the priprioca tuber in powder form - are sold at prices that can vary between R $ 2 or R $ 3.

The root that is worth gold 

From the Priprioca root makes the fragrant oil from the Amazon

 

And it is under the ground that the most coveted part of the priprioca develops: the tubers. They have underground structures with a pleasant aroma that draws the attention not only of the population of Pará and of science but also of large cosmetics companies, such as Natura. Currently, the greed of the national fragrance industry for priprioca exists due to the essential oil of this vegetable, extracted mainly from the tuber. The oil has the excellent olfactory quality and is also used for fixing perfumes.

Origin of Priprioca

PRIPRIOCA or PIRIPIRIOCA (Cyperus articulatus) is an herb of the Ciperacea family, native to the Amazon. It is one of the traditional perfumes of the Amazon region, its essential oil has a reddish color and is highly valued in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Related to reed and papyrus, its roots release a light, woody and spicy fragrance with floral notes.

Composition and use of Priprioca

Its fibers and rhizomes are used in crafts because, in addition to the exuberant perfume, the products are resistant to mold. This may be related to the antifungal properties of the essential oil. Among its main components, we have limonene, cineole, miternal, spatulenol and oxide-karyophylene - remembering that this oil is very complex and for this reason, no element assumes a major role compared to the others.

1. Evokes good energy for the feast of St. John

2. Evokes good energies for the entrance of the new year

3. Has analgesic effects

4. Has anti-bacterial effects

5. Helps in pain relief

6. Lower the fever

7. It has an antipyretic effect.

Other home uses of Priprioca

1. Aromatic vinegar:

It was sold in pharmacies or produced at home and contained, in addition to priprioca, vinegar, eucalyptus leaves, and garlic cloves. This tincture bathed compresses usually applied on the forehead against headache and on the patient's chest and back, to alleviate fever.

2. Decoration with the “straw” of the priprioca:

In handicrafts, the floral scape - which constitutes the aerial part of the species - is reused by artisan Josué Meireles in the finishing of decorative pieces such as vases, ashtrays and wooden boxes

3. The root of Priprioca in cooking:

The root of the priprioca is the part that serves for gastronomy. Alcohol or oil can be extracted from it. It combines with dairy products, meat in general, liver and salami, but it is not yet widely used in the food industry.

 We will stop here.

We hope to have clarified and helped you to get to know Priprioca better.

Those who love each other, take care. Who cares, is informed.

Sources:

Book: Priprioca: An aromatic resource from Pará