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Made with bacuri — a fragrant Amazonian fruit — pulp, white cachaça, ice, and a touch of syrup, this batida carries into the glass a fruit that runs through Maranhão's landscape between the Amazon and the Cerrado.
Behind the flavor
According to Embrapa, the bacuri tree reaches Maranhão's savannas and highlands; its fruit, generous in pulp and marked by its own fragrance, helps tell the story of the state's transitional cooking. In this batida, the pulp meets cachaça in a simple bar gesture: turning a regional fruit into a drink for conversation, refreshment, and discovery.
📜 Ingredients
- •bacuri pulp250 g (9 oz), well chilled🔁 seedless passion fruit pulp — The drink becomes more tart and loses bacuri's creamy, characteristic fragrance.
- 🍷white cachaça120 ml (4 fl oz), chilled
- •simple syrup45 ml (1.5 fl oz), plus a little more if the pulp is very tart
- •ice1 cup of cubes, plus more as needed for serving
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Place the 2 lowball glasses in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, until very cold to the touch.
A chilled glass helps preserve the thick texture without quickly diluting the fruit.
- 2
Place the bacuri pulp, white cachaça, simple syrup, and 1 cup of ice in a blender. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds, until the ice breaks down and the mixture is smooth, aerated, and thoroughly chilled.
In a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously for the same amount of time and serve over fresh ice.
- 3
Taste. If the pulp is more tart than sweet, add simple syrup in 5 ml (1 tsp) increments and blend for 5 more seconds, just until balanced.
The goal is a lively fruit flavor; do not cover the bacuri with sugar.
- 4
Divide the batida between the chilled glasses and serve immediately, adding more ice only if the drink calls for extra freshness.
The batida is best freshly made, while the pulp is still creamy and bacuri's aroma is at its peak.
🥃 Pairing
With cachaça
White/silver
Light, herbal, citrusy, and served chilled.
This is the primary choice: it preserves bacuri's fragrance and complements its acidity without bringing wood to the batida's creamy texture.
Light/rested yellow
Smooth, with light wood notes and a rounded finish.
It works for those who prefer a less sharp batida; its discreet sweetness converses with the fruit without overpowering it.
Also pairs well with
✈️ A flavor worth the trip
Look for bacuri pulp at markets in Maranhão or shops specializing in Amazonian products. Before blending, taste a spoonful plain: its deep fragrance and soft acidity explain why the fruit can carry an entire batida without many embellishments.
💡 Quick tips
- •Use already thawed, very cold bacuri pulp; warm pulp melts the ice before the drink can gain body.
- •If the pulp has fibers or small fragments, pass it through a sieve before blending for a silkier glass.
- •To reduce sweetness, begin with 30 ml (1 fl oz) of simple syrup and adjust only after tasting.
- •For a nonalcoholic version, replace the white cachaça with 120 ml (4 fl oz) of chilled coconut water; the result will be lighter and less dry.
🤔 Did you know?
According to a 2007 survey published by Embrapa, the bacuri tree, native to the Amazon, spread northeastward and reached the savannas and highlands of Maranhão and Piauí.
Pequenas descobertas
- Polpa de bacuri · ingredient
- The creamy, aromatic part of bacuri, a native fruit with a sweet-tart flavor and intense fragrance.
- Cachaça branca · ingredient
- A Brazilian sugarcane spirit with no pronounced wood aging, for a fresher, more direct profile.
- Xarope simples · technique
- A neutral syrup of water and sugar used to sweeten drinks evenly.
- Batida · cultural expression
- The Brazilian name for a drink made by blending or shaking fruit, spirit, sweetener, and ice, in proportions that vary from region to region.
📚 References
- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental). Ocorrência e distribuição geográfica do bacurizeiro, 2007. https://www.embrapa.br/busca-de-publicacoes/-/publicacao/409412/ocorrencia-e-distribuicao-geografica-do-bacurizeiro
- Jakaru Food Park, Imperatriz (MA). Publicação “O drink de bacuri com cachaça”, Instagram, 14 set. 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_52q7qOJAX/
- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa Cocais). Referências sobre cultivos e alimentos do Meio-Norte, conforme a ficha estadual do Maranhão fornecida para esta receita.
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