What is Acai?
Acai (ah-sigh-ee) berries grow on palm trees in the Brazilian Amazon and have been an integral part of the native Brazilian diet for centuries. Our acai berries are pesticide free, GMO free, and naturally organic. They are hand picked and immediately processed, which maximizes their nutritional value.

The acai berry is a deep violet color and has a rich flavor similar to cherry with a hint of chocolate. Our acai pulp is mixed according to the traditional Brazilian recipe, which combines the acai pulp with natural Amazonian Guarana (gua-na-na) and organic sugar. The guarana provides energy and a heightened sense of awareness.

What are the Health Benefits of Acai?
The nutritional benefits of acai are numerous and include:

1. High levels of anti-oxidants. 10 to 30 times the amount found in red wine.
2. High levels of dietary fiber. There are approximately 2 grams of dietary fiber in our Acai mix.
3. High levels of essential amino acids and trace minerals.
4. Essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6, and 9) ratio that resembles olive oil, which has been shown to combat heart disease.
5. High levels of plant sterols, which have been shown to help control cholesterol.

Our Trip to the Amazon
Recently, the three owners of Blenders In The Grass had the opportunity to go to the island in the Amazon River delta in Brazil where our acai is harvested and processed. We were able to watch as the acai berries were harvested, cleaned, sorted, and pasteurized, then mixed with guarana and organic sugar to make the final product. All of this takes place on the island in a new state of the art processing facility.

Even more exciting then seeing the process of producing the acai cups was seeing the way the island inhabitant’s lives have been enriched by the processing facility on the island. Prior to the construction of the facility, the locals were harvesting the acai and selling it on the open market in the city of Bellem (across the river). Now, some of them work in the processing facility and others have a contract to supply the facility with Acai. In short, the processing facility has enormously improved the island inhabitant’s lives.

Also, the owners of the facilitiy have built a school and cafeteria for the 150 children on the island. All of the children are schooled and fed at no charge. Finally, our supplier, Rain Forest Fruits, donates 10 percent of its net profits to the Acaimu Association, which has been established to supply food, clothing, education, and medical treatment to the local population.