Açaí is something of a mystery to most Brits, not only thanks to its puzzling spelling and frankly comical pronunciation to most English ears – “ah-sigh-ee” – but also due to its almost ethereal status as a chic “superfood” slush puppy enjoyed by surfers and gym nuts across the world. But what exactly is açaí? I’ve been based in Brazil, the home of açaí, for the past couple of months. I didn’t choose to live here intending to eat vast quantities of açaí, but I can’t pretend that my addiction to it wasn’t a factor in the decision making process. I can’t help it: as soon as I touch down in another country, even in the depths of Scotland, açaí is one of the first things I crave. A bowl of purple ice cream that is somehow healthy, the confirmation of my abroad state, açaí is a little treat to myself and a pat on the back for getting to my destination – no matter the weather conditions.
What exactly is açaí?
Açaí is a small purple berry originating from the Amazon River basin in Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. It grows in great swathes at the top of açaí palm trees, amassing at the tops of the trees in big bunches that hang down like strings of bead necklaces. In fact, açaí is not technically a berry but a drupe, a pitted fruit much like a mango, a peach or an olive. Fun fact: the same palm trunk that produces the açaí also produces the heart of palm vegetable, which is taken from inside the palm itself, and is another popular delicacy in Brazil. The vast majority – over 90% – of Brazil’s açaí exports comes from Pará, a Brazilian state deep within the Amazon River basin. For centuries, açaí was only consumed by indigenous communities and tribes along the river basin, who used the trees for medicinal purposes; they typically mashed and fermented the açaí into a medicinal wine that was used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including impotence.
Typically, the açaí that we know in the West is frozen with additional sweeteners, before being blended, often with banana. In Brazil, frozen açaí is commonly blended with frozen guaraná extract and artificial sweeteners. Guaraná is another fruit originating from the Amazon and is known for its high natural concentration of caffeine that can provide a considerable energy boost without as many jitters. Over the past twenty years, açaí has been hailed as a superfood in Western society and has been proven to possess significant health benefits, such as antioxidant and energy-boosting effects. What’s more, pure açaí – before it is blended with various sugary additions, as it so frequently is outside of northern Brazil – has been found to contain omega-6 and omega-9 fats, the “good” fats found in olive oil. It is also high in both fibre and Vitamin E. Numerous studies have even found that açaí naturally lowers cholesterol. So what can’t this little superfood do?
Liga do Acai
Tacaca do Norte
Cultivar
The varieties of açaí
Naturally, I have been on a solo mission to sample as many varieties of açaí as I possibly can while I am living in Rio and visiting other destinations in Brazil. There are açaís in two camps here: the “pure”, unadulterated stuff from the north of Brazil, and the sweet, surfer-dude açaí that is sold on the beach, by informal vendors that occupy every other street corner in Rio, where it is scooped out of a freezer box and served in little plastic cups before being topped with lashings of condensed milk, syrup and/or granola. In my eyes, every good açaí is topped with granola and tapioca in some form, though I’ll pass on the condensed milk and raspberry syrup. My favourite topping is tapioca flour that turns into a paste in your mouth, tasting somewhere between milk ice cream and powdered milk. Don’t knock it ‘till you try it. Paçoca (a crumbly mixture of peanuts, sugar, salt and condensed milk, a Brazilian confectionary staple that tastes almost exactly like the inside of Reece’s Piece) adds a rich nuttiness, and homemade granola provides the satisfying crunch factor. In every good açaí establishment, toppings are served in little pots, so you can scoop and dump as you go, layering the toppings and textures to make every bite well-balanced and in equal parts smooth and crunchy. It really is one of adult life’s great pleasures.
Where to get the best açaí in Rio
When I am served my first bowl of “pure” açaí from Tacacá do Norte in Rio de Janeiro’s Flemengo neighbourhood, I can’t help but notice what a very pretty bowl it is. This açaí is so utterly dark purple in colour and shiny to the point that I can clearly see the ceiling reflected in its surface. Anyone in the know will point you in the direction of Tacacá do Norte. As its name would imply, this tiny snack bar serves up pure açaí from the north, although the menu offers blended and sweeter options too. Topped with a variety of toppings including tapioca puffs and homemade granola, this is the very finest of açaí bowls in Rio. Pure açaí is surprising and a little confusing; it has an incredible earthiness and slight bitterness to it, totally removed from the sugary sorbet snack I’d come to know. In fact, served in its natural state, açaí is not sweet at all, but is rich, and its bitter undertone is not unlike dark chocolate. I am fascinated to learn that in the state of Pará, açaí is served as a savoury accompaniment, typically alongside fried fish. This one I am dying to try.
Tacacá do Norte is a small bar with unassuming interiors and a totally open façade that spills onto the street; a typical Rio boteco bar with a delightful air of informality about it. Customers gather around the central bar, sitting on stools or standing as they inhale vast bowls of açaí or other regional dishes. Next door, a sit-down restaurant of the same name attracts daily queues, as eager diners compete to try the restaurant’s famous savoury northeastern menu. The namesake tacacá dish, served in both the bar and the restaurant, is a tangy northeastern shrimp soup containing jambú, a flowering herb from the Amazon with a fresh, peppery taste that leaves a numbing effect on the inside of your mouth. Tacacá is altogether an extremely unusual dish for our Western palate: not only does it leave your mouth feeling numb, but it is also sour and a little gloopy, thanks to the manioc gum that thickens the soup. Tacacá could probably be compared to several Chinese sour soups, not least because jambu is in fact a relative of the Sichuan pepper. Despite the initial confusion, I am a convert.
Another notable açaí joint in Rio that shouldn’t be overlooked is the hole-in-the-wall Liga do Açaí in the centre of the city. Surrounded by a stark mixture of modern office blocks and falling-down colonial buildings, this part of town is practically empty during the weekend. Liga do Açaí looks nothing special from the outside, but the açaí they serve in giant enamel bowls is as delightfully creamy and thick as Tacacá’s, and the toppings are a step above. ASA Açaí in the city’s trendy Ipanema zone is another decent spot to try pure açaí. In Rio, you can’t move for lunchonettes, the city’s retro-looking, traditional snack and juice bars. The most popular and abundant chains are Bibi Sucos or Polis Sucos. Here, you can try a Rio version of açaí – the sweet stuff – and choose from a variety of toppings from Oreo cookies to whipped cream. It’s safe to say the Rio de Janeiro crowd have a sweet tooth, if their sugar-laced caipirinhas weren’t already an indication. Sweet or pure, eating – slurping? – açaí really is a special experience, and one I recommend you to try.
Cover photo licensed by Adobe. Inset photos by Vicky Morrison.
April 2025
