I had something incredibly interesting last night that I just have to share with my fellow health advocates so today I’m going to back to my ‘foods of Brazil’ theme.
You’ve probably heard about açaí a million times by now. I saw infomercials for it in the States last June and I think I get a spam email about Oprah and açaí in my junk mail box at least three times a week.
People go crazy over this little berry from the Amazon with its antioxidants, essential fatty acids (similar to that of olive oil) and its essential amino acid complex. It is a major powerhouse when it comes to healthy food.
Despite the fact that I am pretty far south in Brazil, it is quite the craze here as well. I’ve had the opportunity to try it in 100% juice form and mixed with other fruits. My favorite is açaí and grape juice.
Last night I got to try it in a way I never had before. It is becoming increasingly popular to eat açaí in a tigela. This is simply açaí in a bowl. They just opened a restaurant here that specializes in these treats along with juices and many fruits from the north of Brazil.
I’ve tried to figure out a way to describe eating açaí like this. The consistency is like a thick milk shake. In my selection a huge bowl of fruit – grapes, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, mango, apple, star fruit and chunks of coconut – were covered in the açaí and topped with granola.
It has to be one of the most interesting things I have ever tried. I wish I could find another word for ‘interesting,’ but I’m not sure how else to describe it. It was complex, yet simply amazing. I loved it!
There is so much açaí in it that the pigment turns your mouth practically black. Is it possible to overdose on natural antioxidants? If so, I think I probably came pretty close to the limit.
My Portuguese is awful, but the friend I was with inquired about how the açaí mixture was made. It turns out the pulp of the berries is mixed with organic sugar and guarana syrup.
In case you aren’t familiar guarana is another berry from the Amazon that contains about five times as much caffeine as coffee! There is actually a soft drink named for it that is popular here.
Considering I had my tigela at 5:00pm I didn’t sleep so well last night. I’m thinking it should really be a breakfast food.
Oh, the juice next to my bowl in the picture is cashew juice. I honestly had no idea that the cashew nut actually came from a fruit until I visited Brazil. Maybe I’ll cover that in my next ‘foods from Brazil’ post.
HAHA!!! I definitely receive those SAAAAME Oprah/açaí emails in my spam inbox as well!! :0)
“Interesting” is how I would describe it as well – it’s hard to properly state what it tastes like.
I have heard of it before but never tried it! Sounds delicious!
Lori,
I tried Acai on the beach in Brazil last year for the first time, it is really great, an awesome refreshment too!
Have you heard of the Acai craze that has been taking over the US, there is an Acai based juice sold in very nice “wine” type bottles, it is being produced by an Utah based company called MONAVIE, who buys all their Acai from small local producers in the Amazon.
They actually just launched MONAVIE in Brazil.
Ray
Cashew juice? Wow. I love cashews (OK, not alone there, I’m sure). Looking forward to that post. Reading about these foods from someone who they’re local for is really interesting.
Those are the two most unique, crazy and awesome foods I’ve ever heard of. The acai bowl looks crazy and cashew juice? I’m moving to Brazil…
veggiegirl – Have you had it in the States? If so you’ll have to let us know where.
meg – It really is something unique, a bonus that it is healthy. 🙂
ray – A US company marking an acai juice to Brazil. I think that is kind of funny. I don’t think any bottle product can come close to the juice from the pulp. I’ll have to keep my eye out for it in the larger cities though. The first time we had 100% acai juice was on the cost in Floripa. Now they are serving it in Maringa though.
laura – Yes! It is so great. I’ll write more about it for sure. The fruit spoils too easily to ship, but Coca Cola actually produces a boxed version of it via Minute Maid here. I’m surprised that they couldn’t get it to the States like that. It is really healthy too.
Nick – Thanks for stopping by. I am definitely fortunate to be exposed to some awesome produce here.
Nick – I forgot to mention that the one thing that is very rare in Brazil is…peanut butter! You might want to re-think your decision. 🙂
yay i like reading your “foods of brazil” series…i’ve been wanting to eat an acai berry so long, you cant actually buy them here though. I remember looking for them when i lived in france when i first heard about them. no luck. hey and i do here about “oh magic jungle fruit” bla bla, theres a big poster on the smoothie place at my gym for them, but never just the berry, always a flavor or something.
Reading all these comments i started to think if i could serve it in US… 🙂 I will really think about it.
Açaizeiro Maringa
Cashew juice is really good. Since although I am brazilian I never saw a cashew fruit in front of me, I usually buy cashew juice on the supermarket. There are some good brands that sell it in those 1liter cardboxes, but I do prefer frozen bars of concentrated juice, which you mix with water and sugar in the blender.
Cashew juice is very peculiar, since it seems to have a kind of cashew dust suspended in it. And when you finish drinking the juice, that “wet dust” settles in the bottom… and the juice gets thick, and you also feel it on your mouth. Its WEIRD but its GOOD.
Look google images for CASHEW or CAJU. The cashew nut is that little thing on the top of the fruit.
mallory – So glad you like the posts. I don’t think I saw any mention of acai during my trip to Europe this past summer, but then again I wasn’t searching for it. I wonder if the craze will reach there eventually.
rgustavo73 – Are you associated with the Acaizeiro in Maringa? I’d love to learn more about the store if you are. A place like that in a health conscious college town would be so popular.
aces – Totally agree about the juice and dust. It is different, but I like it. I have some pics from some caju I’ve seen out and about so hopeully I’ll get a post together on it soon.
Oh yeah, and the Tully’s coffee stores in Japan sell an açaí yogurt drink. I don’t know if they have the same thing in the states.
I remember someone telling me how their friend went to the Amazon where the berry comes from and said, “ohhhh açaí!!! lemme try” but it was very gross because the people in the jungle eat just the mashed berry with no sugar or anything else added for that matter.
We have some pretty exotic fruits to try in Ecuador but nothing compares with açaí. I am jealous 😉
oh and I forgot to mention… have you talked about cupuaçú? That is a fruit I could never get into. It tastes like rum or whisky or something strange like that! It has an intense flavor. It’s also from the Amazon.
You have Tully’s in Japan? Oh man, now I am the jealous one. I really liked that place when I visited Seattle.
I kind of figured the berry itself might not taste that great since it only seems to be available all sugared up.
I really want to try cupuaçú. So far I haven’t seen the actual fruit this far south, however you can get it in juice. I’ve been meaning to try it but the caju or mango always calls my name when it is time to order. 🙂
Of course I have been bombarded with acai spam muito in this last year like every one. Usually when the mainstream food industry gets their mitts on a new “health” craze like that, they promote the crap out of its “healthy” benefitis, but then they adulterate it with sugar fats and additives with so little of the actually healthy new thing that it’s actually pretty worthless. What do you know of all the acai products being promoted and sold in the US?
Hi tix – I really don’t know much about them. This past summer, I only really saw acai in juice combinations, but it sounds like the pulp like what I had in Brazil might be making an introduction.
This looks rediculously incredible! I was scrolling down your blog looking for posts I had mised and instantly stopped when I saw the picture! Hope you have a good weekend!!
P.S. I love that the picture of Frank shows up on your blog hahhaha.
erica – it was so great! I’m thinking of getting one this weekend too. 🙂 Have a good one! Your Frank makes me smile. What a cool guy!
Hi
This is truly a number one super food of are modern times from the rain forests of Brazil where so many more new medicines are being discovered all the time.
Acai berry and its many forms can only help our bodies to become healthier.
Ted
http://www.acaiberryreporter.com
Hi, my name is Samantha and I am currently studying aroad here in Brazil. I was in Floripa for a month and now am in Belo Horizonte. I have a question for you actually. I have eaten açaí na tigela and I love it. I have heard it was really good for you as well; however, I doesnt it also have like 2000 calories per 700 mL? Is the guarana syrup healthy as well? You seem like quite the nutritionist to ask this question and I am hoping you will respond sooner than later. My email is samantha.a.lopresti@gmail.com
Thank you and take care!,
Samantha LoPresti
Tchau!