Well, I stand corrected. I previously wrote after a trip to California that acai bowls were nowhere to be found in Chicago. Little did I know, they are here, they’re just DIY.
Full disclosure, Amafruits sent me some of their awesome frozen acai samples and I fashioned them into what I like to think of as a Chicago-style acai bowl (see below). Like the Chicago-style hot dog, this bowl has a special Chicago twist: Julius Meinl granola.
I also learned from Amafruits that sometimes acai served in restaurants is not fresh. This antioxident-rich fruit has a shelf life and since it grows in the Amazon, it’s shipped frozen to preserve its natural benefits.
The acai (Amafruits sells through Treasure Island, Potash and some other locations downtown or order online) comes in single-serve packets that blend extremely well. It doesn’t take a super-blender to smooth it out, when mixed with a little orange juice, or even water.
If you haven’t had acai, it’s a fruit, but it blends smoothly when frozen without separating into fruit versus water. The consistency is almost creamy, but it’s just pure fruit.
Here’s how I assembled my bowls:
-Blend four packets of frozen acai puree with orange juice to desired consistency.
-Pour blended acai over Julius Meinl granola
-Top with sliced bananas, shredded coconut and fresh raspberries
Enjoy!
Even though this makes for a great breakfast or snack, we actually enjoyed acai bowls for dinner. Who knew?