Belem, Brazil — Some acai berry lovers visiting Brazil for this week’s U.N. climate summit are in for a surprise when they taste the fruit popular around the world in smoothies and breakfast bowls.

Acai bowls served by local vendors in Belem — the city hosting the 30th annual United Nations climate summit, the Conference of the Parties, known less formally as COP30 — are true to the dish’s rainforest roots, served unadulterated and without sugar.

This traditional preparation has been a tough sell for some visitors, used to the frozen and sweetened acai cream sold in other countries and elsewhere in Brazil.

“I can’t say this is bad and I totally respect the cultural importance of it, but I still prefer the ice creamy version,” said Catherine Bernard, a 70-year-old visitor from France, a

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