Peanut Butter Acai Bowl

Is it a peanut butter Christmas tree? A model of Mount Everest sculpted out of chocolate ice cream, perhaps?

Understandable, if that’s what you’re guessing is in my photo above. You’d be wrong, however – it is in fact an Acai Bowl. I bought this at the Drip Bar in Melbourne. The purply-chocolatey coloured acai is topped with fresh banana, crushed cacao, coconut, ground almonds, granola and a drizzle of peanut butter.

Some of you will be very familiar with acai, and some may never have heard of it. Acai (pronounced ah – sa – ee) is a berry that is produced in Brazil. It is rich in antioxidants, fibre and healthy fats, and believed to support heart health and cognitive function, while being low in sugar and calories. It is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It therefore ticks all the boxes to be called a surefire superfood.

What’s more, it tastes really good! At the risk of sounding like some sozzled sommelier, I would describe the taste as having dark chocolate tones, with deep red wine and a hint of blueberries. When you hear that description, it’s hard not to at least give it a try.

In the UK, my experience is that acai is still mainly the preserve of specialist juice bars and health food shops. An internet search reveals that there are slightly more outlets than I was aware of, but it is still nowhere near the mainstream in the way it is here in Australia. Most towns have a cafe or takeaway in the high street selling a variety of acai bowls, with chains established for the purpose, such as Oakberry and Yo-Chi.

As far as I understand, the acai is blended with chopped banana and yoghurt (or coconut milk for a non-dairy version), giving it a rich texture with a beautiful purplish colour. It is eaten ice cold, swirled in a bowl, looking like ice cream or sorbet with toppings added. Fresh fruit is most common, while sprinkling over granola or muesli makes it an option for breakfast.

A danger with acai bowls is that the base is topped up with treats high in sugar or non-healthy fats, that cancel out the health benefits of the acai itself. However, this doesn’t need to be a problem as long as the toppings (such as a good quality peanut butter) are added with thought and moderation.

The berries do not travel well, so outside of Brazil they are sold in pulp form or as powder. I have bought a pack of powder from Coles Supermarket, where it was available on the shelf, in several varieties. I will be taking it home to make some acai bowls of my own. I also have an idea to sprinkle some into the mix when baking, to make blueberry and acai muffins. Watch out for future posts!

Due to its health benefits, great look and taste, I feel it is only a matter of time before more of us are eating acai as part of a normal diet. Do let me know, via the comments below, if you have tasted acai, and what you thought of it. I am interested to hear how readily it can be found and eaten in your part of the world.

Here’s a Melbourne band that was recommended to me by the assistant in a cool vinyl records shop and cafe in the Hawthorn district of the city (a big shout-out to Alley Tunes). This band play experimental electronic music, and go by the name of Big Yawn. Here they are with Ragazzo.