Açai is one of the most talked about health food ingredients of the decade. It’s earthy taste is not a immediate hit with your taste buds, but boy you can get hooked on this stuff!
The açaà palm (pronounced [asaˈi]) is a member of the genus Euterpe, which contains 7 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America, from Belize south to Brazil and Peru, growing mainly in floodplains and swamps.
In recent times Brazilian’s passion for Açaà has been taking over the world. You can now find mixed açai juices in many supermarkets and the fruit is also available in frozen pulp format from specialist suppliers.
Açaà is a bit of an acquired taste. Many people describe the taste as ’sweet olives’, which is not immediately tempting I know, but the earthy taste of the berries really gets to work on your mouth and you’ll soon find yourself wanting to repeat the experience. And they you’re hooked!
In Brazil, sporty types like surfers and ju-jitsu aficionados use it as a high-energy food to prepare them for a day full of physical exertion.