Point Aldeia do Açai | Brazil

Let me tell you a secret. Churrasco (or grilled meat) is not the best that Brazilian cuisine has to offer. That would be açai (ah-sigh-ee). Açai is a small black fruit grown on a specific species of palm tree and sold as a frozen fruit sorbet. You might have seen this advertised at health stores Stateside or on the boardwalk in California but do not be fooled. Unless purchased at your local Brazilian co-op (Dallas), this is likely a sad imitation of this Brazilian delight. Do yourself a favor and try the real deal!

For me, açai was an acquired taste. My first year in Brazil, before Felipe and I started dating but had already been hanging out in groups for awhile, we met up after work one day to go to Becco do Batman. After we arrived, he asked me if I liked açai. I said sure, trying to be agreeable and impress my crush, and ended up with a large purple bowl of frozen goop. I tried to shovel down a few spoonfuls to be cordial but my body was not having it.

Once we started dating, Felipe convinced me to try it again one afternoon after visiting his family across town. This açai was different. It was delicious (or maybe I was just tired from conversing in Portuguese and hot from lack of air conditioning). Regardless, it became our weekly tradition. There is one place in particular that has the best açai in all of Brazil: Point Aldeia do Açai. This is our friend. He owns two of these shops.

Like ice cream, açai can be topped with sugary delights. In two years, I ate a considerable amount of açai and this is the best ratio I have found: peanuts on bottom, açai, peanuts on top, condensed milk. The perfect ratio of salty to sweet. This summer (Brazilian winter), we got to eat açai every. single. day. YUM.