- Good morning, hope you're
having an amazing day. It's Mark Weins. I'm in Belem in the state of
Para in Brazil in the Amazon. This is an amazing city that's known for fish
(knife strikes loudly) and also very, very well known for acai, which is a berry from a palm tree. We are gonna take a boat (water
sloshes) across the river to an island that's
known for growing acai. Some of the best acai, natural, pure acai. We're gonna eat a home-cooked meal. I know they eat acai with fish, which is something I've never had before. I can't wait to share the food, this unique delicacy of the
Amazon with you in this video. (playful rhythmic music) Whoa, Micah. That's the acai? Before we go onto the boat, we're just walking through the market. We're gonna go just to
the fish market section just for a little while. Take a look at the fish, possibly get a unique
fish for lunch today. (market shoppers chattering) That colorful palm nut is called papunya. Papunya, I think, but then, yeah. Man, there's so many things
native to the Amazon, to this region of Brazil,
to this region of the world. (boat motor revving) Some of these are acai, some
of these are fishing, right? (muffled speaking) - [Man] We're going to a specific market. (easygoing rhythmic music) (meat sizzling) (men speak in foreign language) - [Mark] Buy me a sausage,
chicken, and beef. (speaks in foreign language) - [Man] Sausage, chicken, and beef? I'll have a sausage, chicken, and beef. (meat sizzling) (market shoppers chattering in background) (men speak in foreign language) (easygoing rhythmic music) - [Mark] Think you could hit me? - [Man] You're welcome; enjoy. (shoppers speaks in foreign language) - That's delicious. Oh, man, that is a salty,
fatty, juicy sausage. With a little bit of lime juice, that sourness, that
chili, that smoky aroma, that is tasty. (shoppers murmuring in background) It seems like there's just an abundance of Amazon River freshwater fish. Then we also saw some crabs, some crabs that I've never seen before, definitely freshwater. Oh, wow, that's their main fish. (men speaks in foreign language) (market sellers and shoppers chattering) (knife loudly strikes cutting surface) So many friendly people at that market. He just said that he's the biggest eater. (man speaks in foreign language) (Mark laughs) - [Man] He said, "Look, look." - Oh, look at the size
of his tongue (laughs). He said he's the biggest
eater at the market. One of the common types
of fish to eat here are the most popular. The fish of Belem is filhote. It looks like a type of catfish. They are huge. This one has to be at least 20 kg. (knives chopping loudly in background) (man chops fish) (men speak in foreign language) So, we're going to get
some of the filhote fish, just a chunk of it. Two kilos chunk and then also
some crabs to bring with us. Maybe two each. (mumbles) (woman laughing) (woman speaks in foreign language) Okay, cool, are they gonna cut it off? (woman speaks in foreign language) Fresh water Amazon crabs we bought. They're only two each per
crab, so we bought 10 crabs. They are coming with us, as well. (playful rhythmic music) It's like maybe there's
10 of us in the boat. - [Man] Maybe. - We're on our way across
the river to that island. What's the name of the
island we're going to? - Cumbu.
- Cumbu Island. (boat motor revving) (water splashing loudly) (playful rhythmic music) That is beautiful, the breeze. The river is just massive. This is like an entire bay,
rivers coming together. (wind whipping by) It's a whole network,
complex network of river freshwater system from the Amazon. (playful rhythmic music) (water splashing loudly) (boat motor revving) Yeah, man, that sun is so strong, you really gotta wear a hat. (man speaks in foreign language) (Mark speaks in foreign language) - Which means, (foreign language), or the Cumbu Island, let's go. - Let's go to the Cumbu Island. We've made it across the river. It's absolutely gorgeous. What's amazing is 10
minutes across the river, and it's just a completely
different world. We're out of the city.
(wind whipping by) The nature is blooming. It's stunning. (playful rhythmic music) (water gurgling) Made it to the dock; we
made it to the house. This is her uncle's house. It is gorgeously spectacular, so green. I love the slender palms. I'm not sure if those are acai yet, but those slender palms that literally even come out of the water. The banks of the river. Oh, man, you see chocolate pods, cacao. This is a jungle Amazon paradise. So these are; he just did explain that. These tall, slender
palms are the acai palms. That's where the acai berries... Green paradise. (persons speaking softly
in foreign language) - If you'd like, you can
start filming here 'cause- - They're already cooking some stuff? - The fish. (Mark speaks in foreign language) (persons speak in foreign language) - [Man] That's the fish
we're going to eat with acai. - We're gonna see more
of the cooking later, but for now, we're
heading to the acai trees to see them pick the acai from the source. (easygoing rhythmic music) That view from the sky is so cool. - [Man] Oh, and that water is.
(thudding) - We're on our way to the acai. Oh, man, that mud squishing
between my toes is beautiful. You can see even the houses on stilts. It's above water because the rain and then also the water, I think, comes up every now and then or
depending on the season. That is squishy, beautiful mud, though. Loving it.
(water splashing) - Those are the leaves that she'd applied. - [Mark] Don't touch it? - Yeah, don't touch it. Those ones not. - Cool, do not touch that leaf. It just looks dangerous
with those hairs on it. - I am Bruno. - [Mark] Bruno, okay. Dude, so cool to meet you, man. (water gently splashing) (gleeful laughing) (hikers softly murmuring) (mud squishing) We're having to come
back here because he said the acai is more in bloom in the back. There's more berries on
these palms back here. (dry palm fronds crunching) (persons speak in foreign language) (climber speaks in foreign language) - [Man] Palm tree. (climber slithers up tree softly) - [Mark] Whoa. Oh, he already got it! (climber slides softly)
Wow. - [Man] One hand. (climber speaks in foreign language) (palm fronds rustling) - They look like little blueberries, but they're a type of
palm fruit, palm berry. He plucked that entire stock and literally just slid down the pole. He's already going to
another tree, immediately. I guarantee that's something
that's way harder to do than it looks like. (playful rhythmic music) (palm fronds cracking softly) (climber slides softly) (water splashing) He is so incredibly fast. (water splashing) - [Man] A little bit
(mumbles), real purple. Grab one; just worth a try. - [Mark] It's okay? It does look like a blueberry. (Mark's teeth softly chomping) You just kind of the skin and the... (Mark moans appreciatively) Immediately you can taste the flavor. It's like (softly chomps) slightly sweet. (lips smack) It does kind
of taste like a berry. You can see that; it's just
a vibrant purple color. It even comes off on your fingers. (chomping softly)
(moaning appreciatively) That is fantastic, like
(sighs appreciatively). You can see how that flavor could just be made into so many things. Just quickly while we're
standing here in the jungle, he's about to shimmy up some more palms. Acai is native to Brazil,
native to this region, native to the Amazon. It's used in so many ways. It's such an important ingredient, such an important food source
and a flavoring source. But then acai, from this region, it's been used for many, many years. Then it was introduced not even long ago, back in the 1980s to the western world. Now Acai is a very trendy food. Normally, they take the fruit; they mix it with sugar. They make it into almost a sorbet gelato, and then you'll find it all
over little, trendy shops, kind of like a fruit bowl with the acai. What's so fascinating about this, what's so amazing about
this is getting to see the real source, the way
they eat it in the Amazon, pick it, harvest it, the pure acai. It does not get better than this. (climber speaks in foreign language) (firm acai berries plunking into basket) - He say, "Now even you can make "a bowl of acai of this quantity." (climber speaks in foreign language) (acai berries rattling in basket) (men and women speak in foreign language) - You also have to be
careful of snakes here. (playful rhythmic music) (cacao pod rapping sharply on tree) (men speak in foreign language) Also, they grow cacao here, and he just found us some pods. It smells so good. You can actually smell
the creaminess of it. Oh, man, I love it. Look at that; it looks like it's shining in the sun right there. Of course, this is the fruit. The chocolate is actually the seeds, which are inside of the
fruit, which are then dried, and then that's the chocolate. (moaning appreciatively) Oh, wow, it's so sweet. (lips smack) Perfectly sour. Well, that's stunning. That flavor is just
condensed on those seeds. (Mark's teeth tearing off seeds) (Mark sighs) (playful rhythmic music) - [Man] Like swinging from tree to tree. (palm fronds cracking) - [Mark] Whoa, that's high. (water splashing) (climber speaks in foreign language) He is so fast shimmying up that tree, and that's so high. It's amazing the way the palm can sway, but it has so much strength. (acai berries plunking) (man speaks in foreign language) He's been harvesting, he's been growing, he's been living from acai all his life. That's like an entire life
of experience climbing, and you can tell. (acai berries plunking into basket) (playful rhythmic music) - Excuse my white legs.
(laughing) (cheering and whooping) (laughing) I'm tired already.
(laughing) (man speaks in foreign language) - [Man] Yeah, yeah, get
closer to the tree, Joey. (laughing) (Joey howls) - [Joey] It's so slippery, man. - Jump into the tree. (playful rhythmic music) - [Man] Nice, dude. (chuckling)
Nice! - [Man] Aim high. - Whew, okay, I'm tired. That's amazing how it
holds your feet, though. (playful rhythmic music) (water splashing) (foot swishes in water) (food sizzling) - [Man] Manicoba. (woman speaks in foreign language) (man speaks in foreign language) (woman and man speak in foreign language) - [Woman] Manicoba. (water bubbling rapidly) (man and woman speak in foreign language) (food bubbling loudly) - [Mark] She is cooking
some of the dishes. Amazing; these are all
dishes from Para state in the Amazon from Belem. One of the main dishes
along with a variety of different fishes, fish
and the fish that we brought, she's making a dish called Manicoba, which is cassava leaves. I've had them before in Africa. Actually, we'll talk about it more later, but cassava leaves are actually poisonous. They have to be cooked
and boiled for seven days. This is just only the final process because of the hydrogen
cyanide that's in the leaves. So, you can't just eat the leaves raw. They are cooked to death and
beyond for an entire week. That smells so good; it's
simmering away with some meat. (acai berries plunk loudly into water) They put the acai into some warm water. That's gonna just soak and soften them up, and then they'll be, I'm not exactly sure, but the flesh will be taken off the seed and then blended into a paste. (blender motor whirring loudly) (acai berries plunking) It just rotates and grinds. That's gonna strip that meat off the seed and then add some water to it. It should come out the
bottom probably next. (motor whirring) So, puree comes out, I think because there's
oils in the berries. It's pasty just with water,
and that gives it a paste that just completely shreds... Because when you taste the
berry, it's actually like you can feel those fibers. It's like fibrous, woody. That just completely pastifies it. (playful rhythmic music) (persons speak in foreign language) - [Man] Is this sugar okay if you guys want to add sugar? (dishes clattering) - Hey, man, they just
taught me a new word. It's called (foreign language). (foreign language), the
food is on the table. Like (foreign language),
awesome, beyond awesome. The food is on the table. This spread of food is unbelievable. The crabs are boiled, two types of fish. The fish is fried, the fish is in a stew, and then there's grilled
fish to specifically eat with the acai. And then there's, oh, man, the Manicoba, the cassava leaves. This is just a gorgeous, unbelievably beautiful
setting, environment. We're out here by the river, over the river. This is perfect. What is this one?
- Cupuacu. - [Mark] That's like a juice. - [Man] It is a juice. - [Mark] Cool. (child speaking sweetly) Have to just taste that pure acai. (sighs) Oh, man, that is amazing. It's not sweet at all. It's like the texture of pudding. It's oily; it almost has
an avocado bitterness. Like if you eat a little bit
of the shell of the avocado, it has a little bitterness, It almost has that taste to it. But at the same time, you
almost think it would be sweet like a blueberry, but
maybe just from the color. That is so amazing. It's so rich, actually,
because those acai berries are fatty; they're oily. Oh, man, you could just
take a bath in this. You could put it on everything,
but it's so different from the smoothie or from the fruit bowl granola that you often see acai with. This is the real deal. (playful rhythmic music)
Rice first thing. Got to try the grilled fish with that. Fish, all right. Cassava powder. Cassava powder there. Chunk of fish. Cool, then come back for the Manicoba. (chair scraping floor) Great, sitting down to try the acai with the food with the fish now. Take some of the acai
(utensils clattering). (woman and child speak
in foreign language) Is this the correct way to do it? Kind of put it on the fish? (man speaks in foreign language) (chuckles) Okay, with the fish. Totally, this is the way they do it here. This is the authentic way to eat acai. (Mark sighs approvingly) Oh, wow, that is stunning. It tastes like avocado smoothie, like just blended avocado, almost, on fish. That is perfect. Wow, that's delicious. That is unbelievably
natural, unbelievably fresh, right out of the tree 30 minutes ago. If I closed my eyes, I might think it's just blended avocado. Hey, man, pour on a
little more of that acai onto the fried fish this time. (persons speak in foreign language) (sighs) That's that big chunk of fish that we bought at the market, which is so meaty. It's oily; it's crusted and deep fried. That is delicious. I really want to try some
of that Manicoba next. (women speak in foreign language) That is awesome; they
grow up eating just acai. He has a whole bowl of acai. From baby, yeah. It would be perfect baby food. Manicoba is from this
region of the Amazon. It's cassava leaves, but
because of the poison hydrogen cyanide, it
has to really be boiled. You really have to know how to prepare it, and then it's cooked down. There's pork, I believe, in it, and then sometimes some sausage, some variety of different meats. It turns into almost
like a green, leafy stew. You have to cook it so
long until the leaves are literally disintegrating. (utensils clattering)
Oh. Oh, wow, the Manicoba. It's okay; you are there. - [Woman] (foreign language) Manicoba? - Manicoba. (Mark speaks in foreign language) It has this smoky, amazing meaty flavor. I've always thought cassava leaves have a nuttiness to them. (sighs approvingly) That
adds another dimension, like a crunchiness. It's delicious, an extra texture. (woman speaks in foreign language) Oh, yeah, that's spicy. That's beautiful.
(child laughing) That's a wonderful thing for your tongue. It's pretty spicy. - For being that small
of a chili, that packs. Delicious. - Delicious, I'm having filohote. - [Mark] Awesome, how's
the food over there? (utensils clattering gently) (persons speak in foreign language) - Is (mumbles) like just sauce? Something in the sauce or something? (Mark speaks in foreign language) - I'd really like a whole bunch, that I could eat a piece (mumbles). - [Mark] No? (persons speak in foreign language) (glass clinking) - [Woman] Normally, we put
the fish in another dish, and then you take that- - I'm loving the acai. It's a totally new culinary eating, even concept of what I've seen acai before (acai berries
plunking) in the homeland. It's an amazing,
(acai berries plunking) incredible dining
experience, food experience, cultural experience. Ah, this is great. What type of juice is it? (man speaks in foreign language) Different fruit juices just
keep appearing on the table. This one is a totally
new fruit juice, as well. (Mark slurps) Oh, that's wonderful. (lips smack) Tastes similar to mango, but it's just refreshing. Ah. This is a stew from
the (foreign language)? - [Man] Yes. (men speak in foreign language) - (moans appreciatively)
That's wonderful, too. Potato, there's onions,
there's tomatoes in there, and just add fish; there's soup. (easygoing rhythmic music) (persons speak in foreign language) - [Man] That's the cassava flour. - [Mark] Here's another way to eat acai with some of the cassava powder. Some people also put
sugar to make it sweet, but you can also just
leave it natural like this and then put some fish in there. Because when you eat that much of acai, it's almost like a starch. It's almost like poi. It's fatty and oily enough
that it really is filling if you just eat it. It's incredible, the diversity of it. (sighs appreciatively) It's amazing. Now with some of that fish. (spoon clattering) (sighs appreciatively) What a combination. (playful rhythmic music) We were all so hungry and so excited about that acai that we
didn't even try the crab yet. Time to try the crab real fast, so maybe try this claw.
(claw snaps) (hammer tapping) The squirting juices. It kind of looks like a hairy crab or like a hanasaki crab
because that shell. I'm terrible at peeling crab. Let's see if I can get a
nice chunk out of here. Come on, come on, come on. Yes, not bad. Not bad; you know what
I'm gonna do with this? I was going to dip it in acai, but I thought maybe I
should just taste it pure. (moans appreciatively) Wow. That crab is amazing. It's so juicy. Sweet, not salty because it's freshwater. So flaky (lips smack). This crab is amazing. - [Man] (mumbles) have
it straight from the- (playful rhythmic music) (persons murmuring in background) - Final bowl of acai before... Our boat has just arrived. Final bowl of acai to-go. Ah, man, I love it. You can just feel the
calories, the richness, the health, the
naturalness of it going in. (slurping) It's amazing; it is amazing, and it is a superfood. Is my mouth all purple? (spoon clattering) I'll come and add a little sprinkle, a little sugar in it, too. That's really good, too. That tones down the
bitterness of it a little bit and just balances the taste. I still prefer it without sugar, just the natural, pure taste of it, but, yeah, definitely
good with sugar as well. (slurping)
Stomach is so happy. A totally new, learning,
cultural food experience. An amazing family and friends, and I definitely have very purple lips. One of those learning experiences
that just I will remember for the rest of my life. And just the perspective on food, the perspective on life, the naturalness, the pureness, the acai,
and being able to spend this time with Guillermo, with
Rafaela, with new friends. Thank you so much to Lana for inviting us over to her family home, and then just that meal, just the berries, learning about acai. It's just fascinating to
me how important acai is in the culture here and
how delicious it is, then to take the acai and
now how important it is around the world, and what a crop it is
and how it's being used at trendy and nice cafes,
which is also good. One more quick thing that
I think is interesting is that often outside of Brazil or even in the main cities of Brazil, acai is kind of a health
food, kind of a superfood, kind of a food that you eat for
energy, even an energy food. Whereas here on Cumbo Island in Belem, it's one of those foods where you eat and you just want to take a nap. People eat a lot of it and then take a nap for the rest of the
day because it's heavy, it's oily, it's nutritious,
full of calories. Just the difference, the contrast and how it changes as it
goes from place to place. Again, I cannot even emphasize what an amazing time this was. If you haven't already seen
this entire Brazil food series, we're traveling around Brazil. It's learning about Brazil,
learning about the culture, learning about their food,
tasting some amazing food. It's been an unbelievable trip. I'll have the link in the description box. You can watch the entire
playlist, all the videos. Huge thank you for watching this video. Please remember to give it a
thumbs up if you enjoyed it. Leave a comment below;
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next video that I publish. Thanks again for watching. Goodbye from the gorgeous beauty in Belem in Brazil in the Amazon. Thanks again for watching. See you on the next video.
