A Taste of the Tropic

The only thing I love as much as traveling is eating. I love getting to know a place through the food you can find there. I like to sample whatever I find and the food I find really inspiring I try to recreate in my home kitchen.

One of my favorite places to travel to is Hawaii. People go to Hawaii for the obvious reasons: sand, surf, and sun. I traveled to Hawaii for a year to not only learn how to surf (I got an A in surf class. No, really), but to experience the Aloha spirit for myself. Along the way, I encountered a lot of Hawaiian cuisine. I ate my way around Hawaii, and tried everything from Kalua pork (incredible) to poke (raw seafood salad, not really my style). One dish that’s become pretty popular for breakfast in Hawaii is the acai bowl. Acai berries are known for being a superfood as well as for their chocolate-y/berry taste. Think smoothie meets ice cream for breakfast Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two cups frozen acai berries or frozen berry of choice
• Half of a ripened banana
• Granola or nuts
• Half of a sliced banana
• Tropical fruits of your choice
• Sugar or Honey

Combine the acai berries and ripened banana in a blender. Blend until ice cream or smoothie consistency. Scoop into your favorite bowl. Top with granola, nuts and sliced banana. Add sugar or honey to taste. It’s literally that simple.

You can buy acai berry packs at health food stores or online, but if you don’t have any available, make your own version of this awesome breakfast with whatever you have on hand. Once you create your own, send me youre recipe! I would love to try your version of this Hawaiian treat!