Much of what you see at this and other nearby markets — including a prodigious variety of local fish and fruit — will make it to your plate later in the day. The fruit varieties that are nearly omnipresent in Manaus are nearly absent in the United States. Brazilophiles will be familiar with açaí (pronounced ah-sah-EE), the berry of a local palm that has gained a reputation for being a big energy booster and antioxidant source.

Even in Manaus, it’s difficult to find this dark blue berry in its original form; you’re more likely to encounter it in a slightly gritty shake and sometimes blended with banana and topped with granola. The flavor is difficult to describe. Apple, grape and blueberry with a hint of chocolate? Raspberry-pear with a touch of mud?

You can get it anywhere, but it’s a specialty at Açaí e Companhia, a pleasant, upscale (for Manaus) restaurant in the wealthy Vieiralves section of the town, a short taxi ride from the city, where the dining area has a straw roof and bamboo walls. The açaí there is unsweetened, compared with the version at sandwich bars in Rio de Janeiro.

Aside from açaí, there is cupuaçu, a white fruit with skin like a kiwi’s. In sweets shops like Confeitaria Alemã, downtown at Rua Jose Paranaguá, 126, you’ll find cupuaçu in cakes, flans and a great torte that also has doce de leite — caramel. Guaraná, somewhat known in America as a powder or syrup in energy shakes, is also everywhere, as is the rusty orange, refreshing suco de taperebá, which a few might know as yellow mombin juice.

Read the Full Story here

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/travel/26manaus.html

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