World Tour: Spotlight on Brazil’s Superfruits

July 27, 2018

We absolutely love açaí bowls at Just Add Water™! Our founder, Chef Serena Poon, often reminds people to eat the rainbow, and this Brazilian superfruit makes it so easy! The blue-purple açaí topped with red strawberries, green kiwis, and delicious blueberries visually whets your appetite! The best part? Açaí is a Brazilian superfruit that’s rich in vitamin C, antioxidants and trace minerals like zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Studies show that one of the antioxidants, anthocyanins, actually boosts brain function by protecting the brain from damage due to natural oxidation and inflammation. It helps form new pathways to enhance communication between brain cells by cleaning up old, toxic cells.

While açaí is super popular here in the states, there are other delicious Brazilian superfruits loaded with nutritious properties like antioxidants, prebiotics, and vitamins that you have to try! Below are a few of our favorites.

 

Maracuja

Maracuja, or passion fruit, is considered a pure miracle not only for its tart and sweet taste, but also for its multiple medicinal properties. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, iron, potassium and carotene, maracuja has been used to help strengthen immunity, to improve circulation, to act as a natural mood enhancer, and to help support digestion. One maracuja actually contains 98% of the recommended daily fiber intake, and it’s also a prebiotic that helps keep your gut microbiome happy. Fresh passion fruit is delicious by itself, mixed with sparkling water, or as a salad topper!

 

Pitanga

Called “nature’s most generous fruit,” the sweet and sharp-flavored pitanga is commonly used in jams, jellies, and fruit juice in Brazil. It’s loaded with vitamin A, B2 and C, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, and niacin. Brazilians eat pitanga for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a stomach relief for gastrointestinal problems.

 

Cupuaçu

Brazilians consider cupuaçu their national fruit for a great reason! Cupuaçu is a cacao-like fruit with a pulp that tastes like a mix of chocolate and pineapple. It’s nature’s version of chocolate covered pineapples! Cupuaçu is rich in phytonutrients, polyphenols, vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and B3, amino acids, antioxidants, calcium, selenium, and flavonoids, giving it tons of nutritional and medicinal properties. It is used to help stimulate the immune system, to naturally energize the body without caffeine with its fast-acting nutrients, to lower cholesterol levels, and to help improve both brain and gastrointestinal problems.

 

With such an abundance of scrumptious, mouth-watering superfruits in Brazil, we’re planning our next vacation there already!! Who wants to join us?

XO

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