Fruit
Açaí
Also called acai pulp, unsweetened acai
The small dark fruit of an Amazonian palm, almost always sold as frozen unsweetened pulp. An açaí bowl is a thick blend of that pulp, not a smoothie you drink with a straw. Sweetened packets are already a dessert.
Origin
The Amazon basin, where the fruit is eaten as a savoury porridge as well as a sweet. The beach-bowl fashion is Brazilian, then Californian.
Flavour
Earthy, tannic, chocolate-berry when unsweetened. Sweetened pulp tastes of sugar first. A good bowl should still have a slight bitterness under the banana.
How it is made
Fruit is pulped and frozen near harvest because it spoils within a day. Unsweetened packs are the useful ones; many retail packs are already purple candy.
How to use it
Blend just-frozen pulp with as little liquid as you can — a splash of apple juice or coconut water, not a cup of milk — so it stands up to a spoon. Banana helps texture; granola and oats go on top. If you only have sweetened packets, skip extra sugar. Do not thaw the pulp into a puddle and expect it to refreeze into a bowl.
Storage
Freezer, sealed. Once thawed, use it; it will not refreeze into the same emulsion.
Recipes using it
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