Suco de Maracujá

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a vine native to South America, and Brazil is today by far the world's leading grower of it; the yellow form widely cultivated for juice is known locally as maracujá-azedo, 'sour passion fruit.' The word maracujá comes from the Tupi language of Brazil's indigenous peoples, meaning roughly 'food in a gourd' or 'fruit that is eaten in gulps.' With the fruit grown in abundance and a sour, intensely aromatic pulp ideally suited to a sweetened drink, the fresh juice became a national everyday staple, ranking among the most-consumed juices in Brazil behind orange and cashew, and a standard offering at every padaria and lanchonete.

Pale yellow and lightly frothy, with a powerful, unmistakable tropical perfume that hits before the first sip. The taste is sharply sour — bracingly tart on its own — pulled into balance by sugar so it lands sweet-sour and lively, with a faint floral note behind the acidity. Served cold over ice it is thirst-quenching and bright. Strained smooth it is clean on the tongue; left with a few seeds it gains a little crunch. Refreshing rather than heavy, the everyday lunch juice.

The pulp and seeds are scooped from the fruit and pulsed briefly with water and sugar in a blender — only a few quick pulses, because blading the seeds too hard crushes them and turns the juice bitter. The mixture is then poured through a sieve to lift out the seed husks, leaving a smooth juice. Sugar is essential to balance the fruit's high acidity, and the juice is served immediately over ice; its aroma and fresh tartness fade as it sits. The whole process is raw and quick, a matter of pulping and straining rather than cooking.