(Guaraná das Terras, Native Guaraná of Sateré Mawé)
Guaranà (or waranà in the indigenous language) means the beginning of all knowledge. For hundreds of years, this fruit has been grown in Brazilian Amazonia, around the sources of the Marau and Andira rivers.
The indigenous Sateré-Mawé people collect the seedlings which grow from the seeds that have fallen to the ground, then transplant them and grow them into bushes. The plant has bunches of red fruits that split to reveal parts of the seed and the white flesh, which is believed to resemble a human eye.
According to local legend, the Mawé people are descendants of a murdered and resurrected child whose eye grew into the first guaranà plant. The fruits are most often used to make traditional bread, and they should be collected before fully ripe. Read more
The flesh is removed, while the seeds are washed and then roasted in terracotta ovens. The outer skin is removed, and the seeds are pounded in a mortar and shaped into batons which are laid on mats, then smoked with aromatic wood. When consumed, the bread is grated with a basalt stone.
The dried seeds contain about 3-4% caffeine and are rich in vitamins, tannin, potassium, and phosphorus. The combination of those ingredients is known to combat fatigue and stimulate the memory and cognitive processes.
