Açaí na tigela, more commonly known as an açaí bowl in the beachy sections of Los Angeles, comes from the tropical flavors of wonderful Brazil. Açaí is a fruit that grows in Brazil. It is blended up with other fruits and decorated with toppings to create a wonderfully delicious breakfast or snack.

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The first time I had an açaí bowl, I was living in New York City. I had passed by a sign advertising açaí bowls every single day all summer. Finally, I ducked into the little shop to check them out.

In typical midwestern fashion, I ordered an “a-kai” bowl, and, of course, my miserable mispronunciation made the waitress laugh out loud. She kindly gave me a lesson in the true pronunciation of the fruit, which actually sounds more like “ah-sigh-ee.”

What is Açaí and What is an Açaí Bowl?

Açaí grows on palm trees native to South America. Though most people refer to açaí as a fruit, it should technically be called a drupe, because of the pit that is inside.

In South America, açaí is eaten fresh off of the tree in its typical berry form. However, açaí is incredibly difficult to transfer while fresh. Most of the açaí exported from South America comes, instead, in the form of powdered product.

Health Benefits of Açaí and Açaí Bowls

Many of you know that these tiny, reddish-purple fruits are delicious and are perfect for mixing in a smoothie, but did you know they also provide many health benefits?

Açaí berries are full of antioxidants that are linked to a decrease in diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. They also (most likely) lower cholesterol by decreasing overall and LDL cholesterol.

In a 2011 study, overweight adults that ate açaí 2 times a day over the course of 10 days experienced a lower LDL. (This study contains a few variables that make the results slightly inconclusive, including no control group, etc.)

Making The Recipe Your Own

Açaí bowls are easy to customize to your liking! This is the recipe that I made with my açaí powder, but you can try so many other recipe combinations on your own! Experiment by mixing your açaí with strawberries or blueberries.

Try it with coconut milk instead of almond milk. Perhaps you could top your bowl with cacao nibs, or maybe kiwi! The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Did you enjoy these açaí bowls? If you liked this, make sure to also check out:

Strawberry Kissel from Belarus
Caramelized Bananas in Pineapple Sauce from Benin
Farofa
Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Don’t forget to share a photo of your açaí bowl when you make it! Tag @TheForeignFork on Facebook or Instagram and hashtag #TheForeignFork to share your creation. And, as always, leave a review on this page to let me know what you think!