Something I had almost everyday while I was in Brazil: Açái! I am completely addicted. Açaí is basically a type of palm tree that grows wild in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil. I took this photo of the Açaí palm during my hike through the Amazon jungle with hubby.
This Palm contains a dark colored berry called the Açái berry known for its powerful health benefits. Even Oprah lists açaí as one of the top 10 superfoods for age-defying beauty. Yummy and good for your health!
During my visit to Paraty, Brazil the Boutique do Açaí was a little cafe hubby and I went to everyday for our dose of Açaí! The "Açaí bowl" is like a slightly bitter and rich berry smoothie with a sweet crunch from the granola, honey, and banana.
I just can't get enough of it!!! The Açaí bowl is perfectly refreshing and so filling that it can serve as the perfect breakfast.
They sell frozen bags of Açaí pulp at the markets since it's really a consuming process to make the juice from scratch by yourself. Auntie bought a bag of this stuff and we made Açaí smoothies for a mid afternoon snack.
Hubby and I have been craving Açaí like crazy since we've been back and the Açaí smoothies they have at Robeks, and Jamba Juice just aren't as good... so we went to the local Brazilian grocery store in LA to buy some frozen Açaí pulp to make our own! Here is the recipe we used.Açaí Energy Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
2 Packets Frozen Açaí
1 Banana
2 Tbsp plain Yogurt
2 Tbsp of Guarana soda or Apple Juice
2 or 3 Splash of Soy Milk
1 Tbsp Honey
Extra 1/2 a Banana, sliced
3 Tbsp Granola
Directions:
1. Blend the frozen Açaí, banana, guarana/apple juice and yogurt in a blender.
2. To serve, top with slices of bananas and granola with a drizzle of honey on top!
It looks like tofu and has a spongy texture. This cheese called " Queijo Coalho" is salty and firm that is lightweight and almost "squeaks" when you bite into it. I know it sounds kind of gross, but it's really yummy!
Auntie pours this yellow mixture onto a plate of pretty much anything. This powder is called Farofa and is toasted manioc flour. It is a staple food in the northeast and northern regions of Brazil. I compare it to Tabasco or 
Most Amazonian dishes are based on the fresh fish caught right from the Amazon river. 
Some of the popular fish eaten include: peixe nobre (noble fish), the pirarucu, the tambaqui, and piranha!
The fried pirarucu (the largest world freshwater fish) steaks were my favorite!!
It looks like a prehistoric monster but it tastes sooo~ good!
You can see the two colors merge together in this photo I took. The whitewater side of the river flows from Peru, and the dark waters of Rio Negro (Black River) journey from Venezuela. This amazing and dramatic intersection where the rivers come together is known as the Meeting of the Waters ("Encontro das Águas"). 
Uncle explained to us that the river looks like this because of the difference in temperature, density, velocity of the two bodies of water. 
I was amazed to see that some people live ON the Amazon river in floating homes. 
At the entrance of the docks, there are many booths selling fresh fish from the Amazon river. 
Some of this fish I've never seen before so it was really fun to see all the different varieties of fish caught in the river.
Auntie served up some delicious Churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) meat for us one night. We had a blast preparing for our feast and chowing on authentic Brazilian beef grilled to perfection.
It's a little late to be blogging about my birthday which was in April, but I'm going to do it anyways. I decided that I wanted cupcake instead of cake for my birthday so hubby and I went over to 
To preserve the natural beauty of the island, cars are forbidden on Morro de São Paulo. The only method of motorized transportation on the island is by tractor, and the only way to transport your luggage is by "taxi". 
I cracked up when I realized that their “taxis” are actually wheel barrels! These "taxi drivers" are barefoot, strong, and amazingly speedy! I could barely keep up with them going up and down the hills and winding streets. 
One of the interesting eats I had while in Morro de São Paulo was the tapioca pancake. When I think "tapioca", I think "tapioca pudding" or "tapioca boba drinks." But in Brazil, the word 
I had a tapioca pancake for breakfast at our inn and it tasted like a chewy mochi tortilla with ham and cheese. It was quite delicious, and I later found out that my Brazilian aunt who lives in Manaus eats this practically every morning for breakfast!
