After hearing so much about the acai berry juice, most notably on the Oprah show and more rently on the Rachel Ray show, I was super keen to try it out for myself. I was a bit let down on my first try - I finally found a little bottle of juice containing the acai berry at my health food store, and on that hot summer day I split my first juice with my partner. She was less than impressed.
"But how can that be" I thought to myself. My talkshow heros wouldn't lead me astray? So I decided that my first taste of acai berry must have been a fluke - I picked the worst tasting acai berry available in my town. Although, it at $2.39 / 8oz I had the unfounded belief that my acai berry juice should have been delicious.
So now that there is the possiblity that not all acai berry juice is created equally, and there could be a flavour discrepancy, I decided that what we needed was a taste test ... organized by myself, and all very official. I was convinced that there WOULE be a palatable acai juice option in my town.
The next day I headed out to find a sufficiently varied selection of acai juices available within walking distance of my house. This task took all morning, and I found there were a wide range of options, ranging from the atual real pure acai berry juice at $80 per litre which you are only supposed to have 2 tablespoons of, and which is very bitter, (I did NOT purchse this by the way, are you kidding?), to various colorfully packaged health drinks with different juices and concentrations of acai berry juice. Here's what I found:
1. Nova Acai made in Brazil. Cost: $2.39 for 250ml/8.4oz. Contains purified water, naturally organic acai puree, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid. Nutritionally 120 calories per container, 3.6g of fat 1.3 of which are saturated (6% of your rec. daily intake) and 39% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
2. O.N.E Amazon Acai made in Brazil. Cost: $3.99 or $2.99 depending on the store for 330ml/11oz. Contains: 100% natural acai, 100% natural acerola, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid, guarana extract, xantham gum, and lecithine de soya. Nutritionally 157 calories per container, 3g of fat 1 of which are saturated (5% of your rec. daily intake) and 167% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
3. mySmoothie Superfruit Acai made in Sweden. Cost: $2.79 for 250ml/8.4oz. Contains: apple juice, crushed banana, 11% acai berry, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Nutritionally 150 calories per container, 2.25g of fat .03 of which are saturated (less than 1 % of your rec. daily intake) and 39% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
4. Happy Planet extreme purple made in Canada. Cost: $2.99 for 325ml/11 oz. The ingredients listed are pure apple juice, banana puree, peach puree, acai berry puree, blackberry puree, orange bioflavanoids, green tea powder extract, ascorbic acid and beta carotene. Nutritionally 130 calories per container, 0g of fat .0 of which are saturated (less than 1 % of your rec. daily intake) and 150% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
5. Arthur?s Acai plus made in Canada. Cost: $3.29 for 325ml/11oz. Contains: berry puree blend (acai, blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cherry) apple juice, banana puree, pear juice, lemon juice. Nutritionally 230 calories per container, 4.5g of fat, 1g of which are saturated (5 % of your rec. daily intake) and 40% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
The test results were remarkable in their consistency. The testers all seemed to like 3 and dislike 2. The 2 juices that were unanimously disliked were both from Brazil (Nova Acai and O.N.E. Amazon Acai) AND appeared to contain the highest content of acai berry (although Arthur's Acai plus might also have the same content). The comments on these 2 Brazilian juices ranged from "bitter weird taste I can't swallow" to "tastes like mud" to "almost a woodsy aroma but not as pleasant" to "yucky taste and smells awful". There was nothing equivocal about these comments! Although later, a judge cut one of these juices with half orange juice and we all agreed that it was much more palatable.
Of the three 'good' juices, all the judges deemed that they were very tasty and had 'good fruit juice' qualities. The clear winner out of our selection was Happy Planet Extreme Purple - it recieved top scores in all categories of taste, consistency, and appearance, although mySmoothi Superfruit Acai got a first place score from one of the judges. A solid second place was earned by Arthurs's Acai Plus - made in Canada.
So on taste alone, Happy Planet Extreme Purple seems to be the winner. It seems as though the Brazilian juice, which has the strongest concentration of acai, is also the least favorite. You'll have to use your best judgement here, and decide whether you will get an acai juice (blend) that tastes great, or go for a more concentrated version and flavor it yourself.
"But how can that be" I thought to myself. My talkshow heros wouldn't lead me astray? So I decided that my first taste of acai berry must have been a fluke - I picked the worst tasting acai berry available in my town. Although, it at $2.39 / 8oz I had the unfounded belief that my acai berry juice should have been delicious.
So now that there is the possiblity that not all acai berry juice is created equally, and there could be a flavour discrepancy, I decided that what we needed was a taste test ... organized by myself, and all very official. I was convinced that there WOULE be a palatable acai juice option in my town.
The next day I headed out to find a sufficiently varied selection of acai juices available within walking distance of my house. This task took all morning, and I found there were a wide range of options, ranging from the atual real pure acai berry juice at $80 per litre which you are only supposed to have 2 tablespoons of, and which is very bitter, (I did NOT purchse this by the way, are you kidding?), to various colorfully packaged health drinks with different juices and concentrations of acai berry juice. Here's what I found:
1. Nova Acai made in Brazil. Cost: $2.39 for 250ml/8.4oz. Contains purified water, naturally organic acai puree, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid. Nutritionally 120 calories per container, 3.6g of fat 1.3 of which are saturated (6% of your rec. daily intake) and 39% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
2. O.N.E Amazon Acai made in Brazil. Cost: $3.99 or $2.99 depending on the store for 330ml/11oz. Contains: 100% natural acai, 100% natural acerola, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid, guarana extract, xantham gum, and lecithine de soya. Nutritionally 157 calories per container, 3g of fat 1 of which are saturated (5% of your rec. daily intake) and 167% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
3. mySmoothie Superfruit Acai made in Sweden. Cost: $2.79 for 250ml/8.4oz. Contains: apple juice, crushed banana, 11% acai berry, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Nutritionally 150 calories per container, 2.25g of fat .03 of which are saturated (less than 1 % of your rec. daily intake) and 39% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
4. Happy Planet extreme purple made in Canada. Cost: $2.99 for 325ml/11 oz. The ingredients listed are pure apple juice, banana puree, peach puree, acai berry puree, blackberry puree, orange bioflavanoids, green tea powder extract, ascorbic acid and beta carotene. Nutritionally 130 calories per container, 0g of fat .0 of which are saturated (less than 1 % of your rec. daily intake) and 150% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
5. Arthur?s Acai plus made in Canada. Cost: $3.29 for 325ml/11oz. Contains: berry puree blend (acai, blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cherry) apple juice, banana puree, pear juice, lemon juice. Nutritionally 230 calories per container, 4.5g of fat, 1g of which are saturated (5 % of your rec. daily intake) and 40% of rec. daily intake of Vitamin C.
The test results were remarkable in their consistency. The testers all seemed to like 3 and dislike 2. The 2 juices that were unanimously disliked were both from Brazil (Nova Acai and O.N.E. Amazon Acai) AND appeared to contain the highest content of acai berry (although Arthur's Acai plus might also have the same content). The comments on these 2 Brazilian juices ranged from "bitter weird taste I can't swallow" to "tastes like mud" to "almost a woodsy aroma but not as pleasant" to "yucky taste and smells awful". There was nothing equivocal about these comments! Although later, a judge cut one of these juices with half orange juice and we all agreed that it was much more palatable.
Of the three 'good' juices, all the judges deemed that they were very tasty and had 'good fruit juice' qualities. The clear winner out of our selection was Happy Planet Extreme Purple - it recieved top scores in all categories of taste, consistency, and appearance, although mySmoothi Superfruit Acai got a first place score from one of the judges. A solid second place was earned by Arthurs's Acai Plus - made in Canada.
So on taste alone, Happy Planet Extreme Purple seems to be the winner. It seems as though the Brazilian juice, which has the strongest concentration of acai, is also the least favorite. You'll have to use your best judgement here, and decide whether you will get an acai juice (blend) that tastes great, or go for a more concentrated version and flavor it yourself.
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