flipSuco de maracujá (passion fruit juice)
Suco de maracujá (passion fruit juice)
Why this dish? Tropical fruits are part of Flora's known diet. Maracujá (passion fruit), fragrant and tangy, is the refreshing drink of Brazilian afternoons — and, they say, a mild sedative that soothes after exertion, like a long held note fading gently.
Frothy, tangy juice made by briefly blending passion fruit pulp with cold water and a little sugar, then straining. Served very cold, with foam on top.
When the Rio heat clung to your skin, nothing beat a big glass of cold maracujá. You barely blend the pulp — just a quick spin, otherwise the seeds turn bitter — you strain, and the foam rises like a wave crest. We say it calms the nerves; for me, after a concert where I'd given my all with my voice, it was what brought me back down to earth, gently.
- •Ripe passion fruits (maracujá) — a few (tangy pulp)
- •Fresh spring water — in proportion (dilution)
- •Cane sugar — to taste (balance acidity)
Suco de maracujá (passion fruit juice)
Frothy, tangy juice made by briefly blending passion fruit pulp with cold water and a little sugar, then straining. Served very cold, with foam on top.
Why this dish? Tropical fruits are part of Flora's known diet. Maracujá (passion fruit), fragrant and tangy, is the refreshing drink of Brazilian afternoons — and, they say, a mild sedative that soothes after exertion, like a long held note fading gently.
When the Rio heat clung to your skin, nothing beat a big glass of cold maracujá. You barely blend the pulp — just a quick spin, otherwise the seeds turn bitter — you strain, and the foam rises like a wave crest. We say it calms the nerves; for me, after a concert where I'd given my all with my voice, it was what brought me back down to earth, gently.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe passion fruits (maracujá) — a few (tangy pulp)
- Fresh spring water — in proportion (dilution)
- Cane sugar — to taste (balance acidity)
Ingredients
- Passion fruits — 4 (or 150 ml pulp) (tangy base)
- Cold water — 500 ml (dilution)
- Sugar — 2–3 tbsp (balance)
- Ice cubes — a handful (chill)
Method
- Scoop out the pulp (flesh + seeds) of the passion fruits.
- Blend VERY briefly the pulp with water and sugar — just a few seconds so as not to crush the seeds (which would turn bitter).
- Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds.
- Serve immediately over ice, with the foam on top.
How it was made : Maracujá has been cultivated in Brazil since pre-Columbian times; its name comes from Tupi. Before electric blenders, the pulp was crushed by hand or with a spoon in water, then strained — the refreshing and reputedly calming drink of hot days.
The contemporary twist : An 'after-show' version: a few mint leaves and a lime slice, served in a tall frosted glass to the sound of bossa nova.
Flora Purim · Charactorium
