Cajuína - Northeastern Brazil's Own Soft Drink

In a world dominated by soft drink giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi (and here in Brazil by Guaraná Antartica) it's "refreshing" to discover a soft drink that is delicious, regional, artesanally produced and actually not all that bad for you. I've found such a drink here in Fortaleza, and it's called Cajuína.

Cajuína is a lightly-carbonated soft drink made from the juice of the caju fruit (the fruit that gives us the cashew nut). Because it has been filtered and treated, it really cannot be considered juice, rather a juice product, or soft drink. To make cajuína juice is extracted from caju fruits and then filtered. Gelatin is added to eliminate the substance in caju juice that causes tightening of the throat. Then the tannins are removed from the cajuína, in order to rid  it of that "woody" taste they cause. Finally it is clarified into the clear amber-yellow final product, and then bottled. Most production of cajuína comes from small artesanal producers and a few larger regional ones.

Cajuína is is strongly associated with Brazil's Northeast (Nordeste) and is little known outside the region. It is particularly associated with the state of Piauí, one of Brazil's least populated, and poorest states. There is an annual cajuína festival in the state's capital, Teresina, and the cajuína has been declared the official beverage of Piauí.

Because cajuína is derived from pure fruit juice, with no added sugars, it is a healthier alternative to more commercial soft drinks. A 12 oz. (350 ml.) bottle contains approximately 100 calories. Cajuína also has strong anti-oxidant properties, and a large quantity of vitamin C and minerals.

Should you ever come to Brazil's Nordeste, it is worth your while to search out cajuína. It's something you aren't likely to find anywhere else in the world, and in today's global marketplace, that alone makes it special. The fact that it is naturally delicious and very refreshing should be the only additional incentives you need to give it a try.