Maracujá

Maracujá!!
deserves more than two exclamation marks!! ! It is another iconic fruit native to Brasil (and Paraguay and northern parts of Argentina; now also enjoyed in several other tropical areas thanks to food globalization) this variety is yellow and pretty big compared to the little purple kind found in other places. As you can see compared to my hand, they are about the size of a grapefruit. These have a lof dimples in them but I'm not sure if that's common of the ripe ones or what, but I see a lot of them very dimply.

The rind is shiny, light, and airy and pretty thin. Inside are a lot of dark seeds with yellowish pulp around them. The video below shows the inside bettter.

Maracujá is very popular as mixed into drink, or by itself as a juice blended in the liquidificador (blender) and then run through a colander.

This fruit tends to have calming effects, which I personally attest to. My mãe sometimes brings a glass of suco de maracujá to me while I'm studying, and there's no way I can reject it. A few minutes later I am falling a sleep! [although that might just also be an effect of the reading, (thanks mom, I guess I inherited that trait)]

Passionflower is also used in relaxing teas to ease tension or stress. (I am all into herbal medicine. yeah!) And is it also the most beautiful flower I have ever seen.

At a farmer's market selling maracujá in bunches.


I had taken a large gulp of the drink above thinking it was maracujá juice and it was maracujá liquor! hahaha, it burned but it was delicious.

And of course the famous maracujá mousse, which I have mentioned before a few times.

The maracujá seeds are also sometimes placed at the top of such desserts for decorative purposes.

[photo by Patricia Scarpin]

I want to try some of these!! :) yummmy.