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The acai bowl, or acai na tigela, is a typical recipe from Brazil, very popular also in the United States where it has become a real trend, and one of the favorite breakfasts and snacks for lovers of healthy food and nutrition.
It is a sweet, creamy, and fresh preparation, very similar - in consistency and appearance - to a rather thick smoothie or a Sicilian granita. It is prepared with acai berries, very delicate fruits similar to blueberries, mainly cultivated in the North of Brazil.
Acai berries are usually processed to be marketed frozen or in powder form, and mainly used in the preparation of this purple-colored cream, which is made by blending the berries together with other frozen fruits, fresh fruits, milk, yogurt, or plant-based beverages.
In Brazil, but now in many other places around the world, acai bowls are sold in various establishments and by street vendors, served in large bowls or glasses and decorated with cereals, granola, dried and fresh fruit, seeds, and other delicious and tasty ingredients that are often arranged in many small lines and different patterns on the surface of the acai smoothie.
There are also many people who prepare them at home to enjoy a rich, healthy, and nutritious breakfast or snack, halfway between ice cream and a smoothie: the recipe for the acai bowl is very simple and can be made using different ingredients and decorated with delicious and healthy toppings at the same time, making acai bowls a real spectacle for the eyes, as well as for the palate.
The acai bowl is one of the most common ways to use and eat acai berries, small blue-violet fruits similar to blueberries, mainly cultivated in the North of Brazil, to which numerous beneficial properties for health are attributed.
Acai berries grow in clusters on palm trees native and widespread in the Amazon River area, and are harvested and then processed in various ways for marketing: they are usually pitted, mashed into a puree, and then frozen or freeze-dried to obtain a powder. For the acai bowl, it is possible to use both frozen acai berries and acai berries in powder form.
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The remarkable popularity gained by these fruits in recent years is certainly due to their important nutritional values and the health properties associated with them: in fact, many South American footballers and surfers consume them extensively due to their high nutritional density and energy values! Açaí berries have a high content of fiber, vitamins A, B, C, E, minerals such as calcium, proteins, fatty acids, phytosterols, and especially anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants responsible for the purple color of the berries and important for cardiovascular health.
For this reason, these small fruits are highly recommended in the preparation of açaí bowls, as these bowls represent a balanced and substantial dish to enjoy as a breakfast or light and refreshing lunch. They are an excellent source of energy, especially if enriched with very nutritious toppings such as dried fruit, chia seeds, and fresh fruit. Açaí berries help stimulate fluid drainage, eliminate toxins, reduce hunger, aid in intestinal activity, have a beneficial antioxidant effect on the skin and aging, support sports activity and muscle regeneration as adaptogens.
Açaí berries have a very delicious taste, halfway between cocoa and goji berries. To many, they also resemble dried figs: you can have fun using complementary or contrasting flavors inside your açaí bowls to accompany this unique taste with other fruits, spices, and seeds.
The recipe for preparing an açaí bowl is very simple, and there is no unique way to make it as it can follow the tastes and preferences of the person preparing it: its main characteristic is being served in a large bowl, and decorated with different toppings. Just like with smoothie bowls, all you have to do is blend together the chosen ingredients to obtain a dense, velvety, and smooth mixture to decorate and eat with a spoon.
The ingredients for making the açaí bowl can be varied according to personal tastes: essential and fundamental is the açaí, which can be used in the form of frozen berries or in powder, to be blended together with the other ingredients. Usually, frozen fruit like banana is used, which is blended with plant-based milk (such as oat, soy, or coconut milk), and possibly a sweetener like honey. Many also add yogurt, which in this case should be very cold, even from the freezer: for a vegan version, you can also use soy or coconut yogurt. Frozen ingredients are very important for the ice cream-like consistency of the açaí bowl base, but not essential.
Açaí powder or açaí puree can be blended with fresh and frozen fruit, ice, fruit and plant-based beverages, fruit and yogurt, or just yogurt, in different and personalized proportions and combinations according to your tastes, to be flavored with spices and essences of your choice or enjoyed as is.
The Brazilian version, for example, contains only two ingredients: açaí puree and frozen bananas. If you find the banana too sweet and heavy, you can also replace it with a frozen zucchini or a fresh avocado, which will give the typical dense consistency to your açaí bowl without overpowering the taste of the açaí berries.
Although the original recipe calls for the use of frozen açaí berries in puree, we suggest using açaí powder, easier to find and use in different variations.
Now let's see together the basic recipe to prepare a tasty açaí bowl to decorate as you like.
The real fun in the acai bowl recipe lies in the choice of toppings and in decorating these nutrient-rich bowls. You can choose to use a single type of garnish, or mix ingredients and flavors, combining different types of toppings.
The most classic toppings, which usually appear in all acai bowls served in bars and establishments, are granola, cereals, oat flakes, and muesli. Fresh fruit is also present, such as berries, which pair particularly well with acai, strawberries, but also sliced bananas, kiwi, and goji berries.
Dried fruit is also a great classic, which can be added whole or in chopped powder form: for example, try sprinkling your acai bowl with chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts. You can also use dried fruit, such as dehydrated coconut slices, dried strawberries, or dried figs.
There are no rules in garnishing acai bowls, and that's where the fun lies: get creative and create beautiful and tasty bowls to start your morning off right: add spices, chia or flax seeds, peanut or almond butter, fruits but also vegetables and edible flowers, herbs and plants with beneficial properties or, why not, chocolate or cocoa beans.
If you prepare your acai bowl in advance, you can melt dark chocolate and pour it over the surface of the bowl, then refrigerate it. In the morning, you'll have a solid chocolate surface on your acai bowl, to be broken with a spoon to reveal the soft cream underneath.
The acai powder can be purchased on the Terza Luna online store in various formats for making your acai bowls. The acai sold on Terza Luna is obtained from freeze-dried acai berries, to which maltodextrin is added, a stabilizer that allows preservation and maintains the quality of the product and its properties. If you buy frozen acai puree, make sure it does not contain sweeteners or preservatives.
The acai bowl can be prepared on the spot, to be consumed immediately. It is recommended to avoid storing it in the refrigerator or freezing it, especially when decorated, as the toppings will lose their freshness and consistency. However, it is possible to prepare the basic smoothie a little in advance, especially if chia seeds are added to the mixture, allowing them time to swell and compact the smoothie.
The answer is: it depends. Acai berries contain about 70 calories per 100 grams, but they are clearly not the only component of the acai bowl, so the caloric intake will depend on the sum of the calories of the ingredients used.
The acai bowl takes its name from acai, the fruit used to prepare the base cream, rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The acai bowl is a perfect nutritious and antioxidant breakfast, and can be a valid substitute for smoothies and healthy glass shakes. Not only that: eating an acai bowl is even preferable to drinking a smoothie, as it forces us to use a spoon, sit down, and dedicate a slower and more collected moment to breakfast, activating digestion and consuming a meal in a healthier way, increasing the sense of satiety and peristalsis.
