This species produces more fruit than any other palm in the central Amazon. The fruit has a dark, reddish-purple shell and creamy flesh. Its flavor is similar to that of avocado, and it can be eaten raw, or its oil can be used to cook with. The apical buds of the tree can be eaten as a vegetable, however this eventually leads to the death of the bacaba, as the removal of these buds make it impossible for the tree to produce new shoots.