Jagua fruit makes tattoos, antibiotics, and dessert

Isolated tribes across regions such as present-day Panama, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil have used jagua for centuries. In addition to face and body adornment, South and Central Americans used jagua as an insect repellant. Indigenous people bathed in the clear juice, which, according to an 18th-century explorer, "Turned everything it touched as black and fine as polished jet." He also noted men spiking perfume with unoxidized jagua juice, then sprinkling it on unsuspecting women. Beyond the fruit's unique pigment, Central and South American people use jagua for medicinal purposes. Guatemalan Indians even carry jagua to ward off ill-fortune and disease. Westerners, only recently privy to jagua's existence, have adopted the juice as a natural, safe tattoo ink. Before committing to permanent ink, tattoo-seekers can test out a desired piece by commissioning a jagua rendition first.