BBQ Açaí Tempeh Burger

Warm nights, fresh produce, and a long weekend ahead of us. Grilling season. Like usual, I had to add the superfoods and turn the classic burger into ultimate vegan tastiness - and I think you'll like where it ended up. So here's to friends and BBQs and a great summer ahead of us all.

Açaí BBQ Sauce
(Enough for 2, size up as needed)

1/2 Sweet yellow onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Sweet piquanté peppers (they are from South Africa and sometimes called Peppadews or peri peri peppadrops)
1/3 ketchup
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp chili powder (just use your favorite)
1/2 Sambazon Açaí Pure Smoothie Pack



Saute onion in oil till translucent, then add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for a couple minutes. Pour into a blender, and blend till smooth.



The Burger

Tempeh
Yellow crooked-neck squash
Tomato
Avocado
Romaine lettuce

Douse tempeh with BBQ sauce and rub squash with olive oil and add to a hot grill. Let cook till brown lines appear, flip and do the same. Add extra sauce to your tempeh each time you flip it. After about 10 minutes, or until desired doneness, add your buns to the grill to toast them briefly. Then pull everything off and assemble as you please.

Great with sweet potato fries (make them yourself of buy them frozen) and Açaí Sangria!

Purple Hearts

Salted chocolate, caramel, açaí tarts... more purple in spirit than in look. This stuff is rich. I mean really rich. So make sure you have someone (or a few someones) to share it with. This also will take you a bit of time, about 3-4 hours. But in the end, you'll get to eat it, and its worth it.

Chocolate Tart Dough

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 Cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1 Large egg yolk
1 Tsp pure vanilla extract (pls don't use vanilla flavoring, it's just never as good)
1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

I use an electric mixer because I just got one, and am obsessed with it, but you could easy hand mix this with a wooden spoon, it will just take a bit longer. Either way, mix butter and confectioners' sugar till smooth. Then add egg yolk and vanilla and mix till smooth.



sift flour and cocoa powder (this makes sure you don't have those evil clumps in your dough) and add to your bowl then mix until just combined; form dough into a disk, seal in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour.



Preheat oven to 325° F. Flour a large surface and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and press into a tart pan. You can either use a 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom or smaller individual tart pans - I used heart shaped small tart pans. Chill for about 30 minutes.



To bake, line with parchment paper and beans or weights - I didn't have parchment paper, and used garbanzo beans, which works, they just make small indents in the bottom of your tart - not a big deal. Bake with beans for 15 minutes, then pour the beans out and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until crust is dry. Move to cooling rack.

Caramel Filling

1/2 Cup water
2 Cups granulated sugar
1/4 Cup light corn syrup
1/2 Cup heavy cream
8 Tbsp(1 stick) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp crème fraîche

Put water, sugar and corn syrup into a large saucepan and simmer and stir occasionally till it begins to turn golden. Turn off heat, and add cream (it will bubble ferociously once you begin to stir, but don't worry, it mellows out quickly). Add butter and crème fraîche and stir till smooth. If your caramel doesn't mix completely at first or you have some harder bits, you can put the pan on very low heat as you stir. Once mixed, let cool but stir occasionally so as not to form a crust on top. Pour into your tart and let it set.



Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Scoops Sambazon Freeze-Dried Açaí Powder



Chop chocolate finely and put into a heatproof bowl. Heat cream to a slight boil and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for a moment, and then stir until smooth. Add in açaí powder and mix. While warm, pour into the tarts as the top layer and place tarts in the fridge to set.



To serve, remove tarts from the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to warm up to room temperature, and sprinkle with salt - I used large sea salt.

Adapted from LOTTIE + DOOF, who adapted a recipe from Marlow&Sons.

Acai Caramel (i.e. purple butter)

Mmmmm, purple butter for utter holiday indulgence. Because if Coca Cola can make Santa red, why can't I make happiness purple?



1 Cup Sambazon Original Açaí Juice
2/3 heaping cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2.5 Tbsp butter

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat acai juice and let boil till reduced to 1/3. Reduce heat to medium and add sugar, salt, cream, butter and stir till everything is melted and mixed thoroughly. It will boil a bit ferociously, but don’t be scared, keep mixing occasionally.



After about 10 minutes or so, you should notice that the liquid is starting to congeal when stirred. Turn off heat and let it cool completely (if you’re rushed, put it in the fridge or freezer).



Once cool, pour caramel onto plastic wrap and form into a long stick bout ½ inch in diameter. Wrap up and place in freezer for another 15 minutes or until hard enough to cut. Cut into small candy sized pieces about ½ inch long, and wrap individually in plastic wrap, but not before you sneak one yourself.



Happy Holidays!

Real Deal Açaí

It’s beautiful to observe the growing importance that we as consumers are placing on the source and authenticity of our food. Movies like Food Inc. are helping to make us aware of the injustices within the food industry so we can shape positive change through our purchasing decisions.

Since bringing açaí to market, we’ve witnessed how subtle inaccuracies around açaí in the marketplace evolved into pervasive misinformation as companies both large and small raced to jump on the açaí bandwagon.

It’s become apparent that açaí scams of one form or another have become all too pervasive; and so, we’ve taken it as our duty to lift the veil and let the truth be known, a campaign we call our Real Deal Açaí series.

The goal for this new educational campaign is to provide a simple means by which people can determine the amount of ‘whole food açaí’ in a given product. In an effort to remain as objective as possible, we’ve posted the lab results of some relevant açaí products as examples of what to look out for.

The Real Deal Açaí series will come to you in the form of blogs, newsletters and messaging on our products’ labels as well from the Real Deal Açaí page of our website.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with this new resource so you too can become a source of Açaí truth:

http://www.sambazon.com/realdeal


Yours in all things Açaí,

-skanda

The Power of Good Vibes

"Love your Acai berry juice!!! Top-notch product, great price, good taste. Feel a lot better using it!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Bless you all,
Customer: M. Franson – San Diego, CA"


This recent email sent to info@sambazon.com served as a potent reminder of the power of gratitude & appreciation. It transported me to a time when my yoga teacher (who was critiquing my teaching style at the time), reminded me that I’d forgotten to convey to the class the importance of cultivating deep feelings of love & gratitude during our practice. He explained that every emotion has a corresponding affect on the physical body and that to experience the full healing potential of yoga, one should strive to remain continually aware of such positive emotions; a phenomenon I enjoyed directly while reading the grateful words of Mr. Franson.

As we strive to experience higher degrees of health and vitality through our diet, it’s easy to forget the importance of taking a moment each day to let go of negative feelings and replace them with feelings of love, acceptance & gratitude.


With Love & Devotion,
Skanda

TED Conference- written by Jeremy Black, VP of Marketing, Sambazon

Thanks to our partners at Lexus Hybrid Living and Chef Akasha from Akasha Restaurant in Culver City, we had the opportunity to serve up our açai bowls and juices at the TED Conference last week. It was the first time I was able to attend this event which I'd heard really good things about so we were pretty excited to share some açai and meet some of the world's top change makers. Speakers included Bill Gates, James Cameron, Philip Howard and many more. Click here to see a recap of the event and I highly recommend you take a few minutes and watch Bill Gates' talk, everyone needs to be aware of this and be part of the solution.

The Lexus Hybrid Living Lounge was extremely well done and drew a sophisticated crowd. Al Gore walked up and wanted to know what was the deal with the purple stuff in the cup with the granola everyone was eating. So I got a chance to tell him a little about our company and products, as well as thank him for all the hard work he's been doing creating awareness for the Global Warming issue. Thanks again Al, you're making a big difference using your influence to create awareness and instigate change. Another highlight was Maggie Grace stopping by for a Rio bowl, she told me she first had our açai at Lanikai Juice in Hawaii when she was filming Lost. I had heard the whole cast made açai bowls a daily ritual and she confirmed that. Now living in LA she keeps our açai in her diet using our Pure Packs in her daily smoothie.

TED is all about good ideas, “what the world needs to know”, and brings some of the smartest thinkers in the world to share their solutions. And while at times it can be a little overwhelming when you hear about all the problems we are facing, it's good to know that there are passionate people who are working hard to solve them. I want to encourage everyone to find a way that you can become part of the solution, and if you're ready to start now and looking for some simple things you can do here are some easy ones:

1- Change out your light bulbs to CFLs or other Energy Star rated bulbs
2- bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store
3- Buy organic- for you, for the planet
4- Eat less (or no) meat (watch Food Inc)
5- and most importantly, vote with your dollars by buying from companies that you know are working to be a part of the solution as well.

Thanks and bless,
Jeremy

Have Questions About Sambazon? Jenn’s Got Answers.

“Hi, Good Morning, Sambazon….” That’s me you hear on the line when you call Sambazon.

While I have only been working for Sambazon a little over 6 months, I have been providing customer service, either on a sales floor or on the phone, for over 17 years. Something I have discovered over the years is the best “on the job training” is to listen and learn from customers’ questions. Sambazon is no different. I came into this position a relative açaí “newbie” so I have had to learn a lot about Sambazon and açaí. Finding answers to customers’ questions has been a big part of this experience. Here are few of the most popular questions and answers…..

Where can I find your product in my area?
Visit our website (www.sambazon.com) and click the Retailer tab. Customers can enter their zip code as well as the product they are looking for and find a retailer close to them.


I love your product! How much should I eat on a daily basis? Can one ever consume too much açaí?
Açaí is a very nutritious, potent fruit and we encourage our consumers to eat as much acai as their body craves. While there is no USDA guideline on how much acai one should consume in a day, at the office we love how we feel when we eat at least
one serving (sometimes two!) of açaí each day. All Sambazon products, with the exception of our energy drinks, provide 1 to 2 servings of fruit.


Can Açaí help me lose weight?
While the perception that acai promotes weight loss has been created by internet scams touting free trials of açaí supplements, that is not what açaí is all about. Açaí is an incredibly healthy fruit that delivers powerful antioxidants and healthy omegas. And, as part of a healthy active lifestyle, acai can support positive health results.


Where is the expiration date located on your bottled juices?
Locate the Nutrition facts panel on the bottle. The expiration, or “Best By” date, is stamped in black along the seam. We are aware it can be hard to read and have recently started using a much easier to read stamp which you should see on our bottles in the near future.

I enjoy hearing from our customers. So, keep the feedback and questions coming!

Jenn Bonura – Customer Service

Sambazon Supports Surfers For Autism

On September 19th Surfers For Autism, a non-profit group designed to support the efforts of a collaboration of surfers, volunteers and sponsors dedicated to bringing the sport of surfing to families and children affected by autism set up an event at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, FL. Sambazon’s east coast road warrior Toby Taylor was there providing kids and adults with Sambazon açaí juices and smoothies. Here are his words that recap the feeling of this event...pretty powerful stuff:

When I got to the Beach early to set-up, the waves were perfect size for the kids. It was going to be a great day of Healing for all of us. Our Souls and hearts were touched. Something special was in the air, all the sponsors, instructors and volunteers were stoked and full of energy. Then the kids came, some were a bit anxious and didn’t know what to expect. But once they got in the water the healing stoke was everywhere, these kids started to smile, and they smiled the whole day, walking the beach and trying to communicate. Some would talk and others would just give you a big smile, we all connected that day on the beach. When you’re in the water all the problems of the day just seem to go away for awhile and you’re a kid again. When the kids were in the water you felt something special in the salt air. It was one of the greatest Surf sessions I’ve had in a long time.

-TT (South East Promotions Manager)


Click here to check out more photos of this event or click here to join Surfers For Autism’s facebook group.

Thanks to Surfers For Autism for inviting us to work with such an amazing group!

I ♥ Brasil! By David Zitko (Western Sales Manager)

Brasil, ok... now I understand… at least a little better.  I just got back from my first trip to Brasil (after working here at Sambazon for over 5 years) and I can’t find the words to describe the beauty and the feelings I have for that country, the culture, its people, the music. We spent some quality time in Rio and more quality time up in Macapa, home to our açaí factory in the State of Amapa.  Two very different places yet both still Brasil in all facets.  

Rio is such a great city!  I only got to see a little yet I was blown away by the people, the views and the fresh food… I was amazed by the food.  We ate delicious, healthy, tasty food every day and the flavors and quality of the meals were unbelievable.  Since it is South America, it was Winter in Brasil of course but we still enjoyed very warm days and even a little beach time in Ipanema.  Vendors sell everything from fresh coconuts and açaí to t-shirts and jewelry on the beach and the boardwalk.  The water temp was about the same as a Summer day in San Clemente, right around 70 degrees.   We also spent half a day visiting the Corcovado, which is the giant statue of Christ that overlooks Rio from one of its highest points.   It is one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever experienced.    

Up in the Amazon, we toured the factory and tasted fresh açaí that hadn’t been plucked off the tree for longer than a few hours.  The factory looked like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory with everyone in clean white suits and masks.  Right next door there is a tile and brick factory which uses all of the processed seeds from the facility to fire their kilns.  Previously this brick maker had to burn hard woods but now the seeds and some wood chips produce the same energy to get the job done.  Everyone thought that was very cool and it really showed how even in remote places like the Brasilian Amazon you can find green practices taking over.  After we visited the brick factory we stopped by a local public school that our non profit endeavor, the SAP, supports.   The students were making jewelry out of the polished seeds and learning everything from business skills to local sustainability actions.  I purchased some nice pieces and toured the school after.  The people were so gracious and warm to us.  We also got to stop at the monument on the equator and take some pictures from the place where North meets South.

Brasilians are very well known for their fervent nationalism and energy when it comes to representing their country.   Before, I never gave it more thought than being typical pride.  Now I understand a little better why someone from Brasil can be so happy and proud of where they come from.  Now I understand a little better and can’t wait to go back. 

-Written by David Zitko (Western Sales Manager)

We’re consumers too…

You know, I was just thinking… Before Sambazon, what was it that drew me to a given brand and what is it that’s kept me loyal to certain brands all the years I’ve been grocery shopping.

A couple things come to mind when I think about brands I love like Traditional Medicinals herbal heath products and New Chapter supplements. Firstly, I learned about the brands through people whom I respect greatly. Secondly, like a good friend the brands are reliable - consistently potent and effective from the day I began buying them.

Now when I look at these beloved brands through the eyes of my experience with Sambazon, I have more respect for them than ever. I’ve come to learn first-hand how incredibly challenging it is to consistently produce products of the highest quality. It takes professionalism and a high degree of organization for sure but more impressively; it takes burning passion and a truly intense commitment to manifest a vision.

Whole Foods Market has a saying, ‘vote with your dollars’. I guess the saying is pretty much self-explanatory but it’s become particularly personal to me. Now when I shop, I use my intuition to try to sense what a given brand’s motivations are, what their guiding principles are, knowing that each of my purchases has a direct effect on shaping product trends.

It’s really cool to see how the natural foods movement has exploded as savvy shoppers increasingly choose products they feel are respecting the health of themselves and their families. I have to smile each time I walk into a conventional supermarket and am able to find Traditional Medicinals’ products - Pharmacopoeial potency herbs just an isle down from sprayable cheeses… are you kidding me?


Onward & Upward,

-skanda

Seattle shows it's true colors

On the road home from Bumbershoot I started thinking, it’s funny how things work out sometimes. Like rain and weather and waterproof jackets. Like Seattle’s biggest Music Festival Bumbershoot and the perfect three day storm. And seriously, it was perfectly unfortunate. Sunny and warm for setup day, pouring and cold for day 1,2 and 3, and clear for packout, sunny the next morning.

As you all know, açaí juices, smoothies, bowls are all cold refreshing nourishing goodness, but in the middle of a winter storm, that just happens to arrive in the middle of summer, sometimes, you tend to stay away from cold. But not for Seattleites. One thing I learned this weekend, is that throughout the rain, the cold, and the muddy grounds, Seattleites just push on like they don’t care, like the rain isn’t even there. Soaked to the bone they still seek out the healthy goodness that Sambazon has to offer and will jump at a frozen açaí bowl over hot steamy fried festival food any day.

So thank you Seattle for all your love, for buying us out of product in the middle of the cold, and for all the great music. We’ll be back next year, that’s for sure.

Power to the purple,
Kaia

The Green and Purple Trail

Jay Stafford, Sambazon’s friend and ambassador, has taken his summer tour on the road. Jay will be touring music festivals across the nation setting up his own Açaí stand and selling Sambazon goodness. Last weekend, Jay hit the Harmony Festival and here’s a quick update from the road...

"Well, the Trail is officially ablazin'...Harmony Festival was spectacular and the people were in love with acai all over again. It's easy to remind them why it is the best food at the festival. Just a little taste and there body tells them, "YES!" We tried out some new topping combos the goji berry, cacao nib, mulberry, and pistachio mix from Kopali (from hereon out called "Kopali Mix" on top of shredded coconut was very popular among luminaries and good old folks alike. I had five lovely ladies helping keep the booth afloat all weekend. At, Sierra Nevada, people were still ordering "Rasta Bowls," a classic acai berry blend topped with granola and shelled hemp seed from Manitoba Harvest, the best hemp on the market. And that was a kick because that's not on the menu. Great to see the reggae fans keeping it local."

To read more about Jay’s Green and Purple tour and to find out when he’s coming to a town near you, check him out on facebook!


Upcoming events:
* High Sierra Music Festival
Quincy, Ca
Thursday, July 2 at 10:00am

* Emrg N See
ten miles east of Salem, OR
Friday, July 17 at 2:00pm

* Mystic Garden Party
Jackson WellSprings
Thursday, July 23 at 9:00am

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 6 - Something for Everybody

Last month I had the pleasure of sampling out some of our new products at Denver’s first ‘Greenfest’. As I stood in front of the booth to make sure our display was dialed in, I couldn’t help but smile to myself about how many awesome products we now have available and how far we’ve come. It all started with our Original Acai Rio Blend and Amazon Cherry frozen smoothie packs in the summer of 2000. Up and down the coast of Southern California, Juice bars, cafés and restaurants made a variety of smoothies and acai bowls using these frozen smoothie packs. People loved the smoothies made from these products and it didn’t take long for the acai bowl experience to catch on too. The success of the frozen smoothie packs in rootsy SoCal eateries led to them being picked up by Whole Foods Market and many of the natural foods stores across the nation.

Thanks to the popularity of the original frozen smoothie packs in natural foods markets, we were able to expand our acai offerings to bottled juices, sorbet pints and freeze dried acai supplements. Now we even offer a line of 32oz (family sized) acai beverages that folks just can’t seem to get enough of the 32oz bottles. I wish my family had a 32oz bottle of acai juice on the breakfast table when I was kid!

In addition to the buzz around the new 32oz, family sized acai beverages; I was amazed at the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our 3 organic energy drinks . Energy drink lovers at Denver Greenfest were so happy to see that they can now look to Sambazon for delicious energy drinks that not only work but are actually organic too! Checkout the new Jungle Love, packed full of aphrodisiac herbs and Diet Amazon Energy which was created utilizing the natural, low calorie sweetener stevia.

I had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of people at Denver Greenfest and it was seriously cool to have ‘something for everybody’. Keep your eyes peeled for even more variety cuz it doesn’t stop here. And now you can find Sambazon products at a rapidly increasing number of conventional supermarkets too! Click here to search our retailer finder for a list of stores near you . Look for more new Sambazon products in 2010. I actually just sampled a couple new top secret products and they were insanely awesome – yeah! And, if you can’t seem to find the Sambazon products you love in the stores where you shop – don’t hesitate to ask the store managers to start stocking our stuff! Let us know if you have any success getting it on the shelf in your local stores, and we’ll send you a little ‘thank you’ just from us!


Your Friend,

-Skanda

Açaí- a positive force in the Amazon

In 2000 we first experienced Açaí and observed that it had become a huge success within Brazil and was destined for international fame. We also recognizing that this non-timber forest product (NTFP) had the potential to become a sustainable force in the Amazon Rainforest rather than an exploitive industry as countless others had before it (sugarcane, soy). As social entrepreneurs, we set out on a mission to prove the case for sustainable development in the Amazon and founded Sambazon - “Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon”. We developed a Fair Trade “market driven conservation” business model around bringing açaí to the worldwide marketplace that would ensure positive environmental and social development in the açaí harvest regions – thus linking each dollar of sales with economic and environmental gain on the ground, fighting poverty and protecting biodiversity and social justice. We knew that with sound business practices and a lot of hard work, Açaí could be an overwhelmingly positive impact for the local communities and the environment.

Today all of the hundreds of independent family farmers and cooperatives we work with are USDA Organic certified and have been assisted and/or trained in wild crop harvesting to ensure a sustainable source of the fruit. We remain the first and only source of Açaí to be certified Ecocert Fair Trade, providing sustainable employment for over 3,000 people and fostering environmental stewardship on over 1.7 million acres of biodiverse agro-forestry farms in Amapá and Pará States. Both the IEPA (Institute for Environmental Research of Amapá State) and the IBAMA (Brazil's equivalent of the EPA) have officially confirmed that Sambazon’s açaí extraction does not harm the environment.

Sambazon’s efforts in developing industry standards over the years have been felt on a large scale, working directly with the Brazilian authorities on Food Safety and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). This influence has caused significant positive change throughout the entire Açaí supply chain, from the tree to the processing plants to the community at large.

In 2003, as part of our commitment to our mission, Sambazon founded the Sustainable Amazon Partnership (SAP), a public and private collaboration with the Brazil Foundation and the Peabiru Institute to ensure the lasting sustainable management of the Açaí regions and communities in the Amazon. From inception, this organization has been supported by the Nature’s Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, and through collaboration from its partners, the SAP has been able to add value to the social, environmental, and economic issues for thousands of families and acreage. This has included Açaí training programs, technical assistance, establishment of baseline bio-social indicators for future statistical evaluation, sustainability programs and alternative income generating activities for thousands of woman, youth and small family farmers.

But it’s not just us saying this: Greenpeace, claimed that Açaí may be one of the best ways to "save the rainforest". The Royal Tropical Institute, stated that "Sambazon's work with açaí is aimed to contribute to sustainability in the Amazon Rainforest and alleviate poverty". We also received the 2006 “US Secretary of State Award for Corporate Excellence" from Condoleezza Rice along with the Ashoka Organization’s 2006 Changemakers Innovation Awards: "Market Based Strategies to Benefit Low Income Communities".

We are proud to have built a state of the art Açaí plant in the State of Amapá, which has become the global reference for excellence in Açaí processing. Run by Brazilians, our plant has developed leading edge manufacturing technologies and new açaí products and remains an environmental and industrial relations landmark in the Açaí industry.

Recently, an article was published in the press which irresponsibly suggested that a “Superfood on Oprah (Açaí) was robbing the Amazon poor of their staple”. To the contrary, Açaí has been the source of significant economic gain for the Amazon’s poor family farmers and fortunately when harvested in a way which is consistent with Sambazon’s benchmark industry practices, protects the bio-diversity of the world’s most important source of flora, fauna and scientific potential. It is true that the local price of Açaí has risen over the last 20 years as one might expect when it is “discovered”. But it is also true that 98% of this fruit has been purchased and consumed in Brazil. Further, the increased prices have resulted in a better standard of living and financial freedom to thousands of family farms, not to some multinational. Supporting family farmers while protecting the world’s most important rainforest is what Sambazon’s mission has been all along.

Yesterday, Fox News gave us the opportunity to go on national television and tell the plain facts. I encourage you to check out the segment here and help us spread the word so we can continue to make positive change in the Amazon Rainforest and beyond.

Sincerely,

Ryan Black
Founder and CEO

Sambazon Comes to Seattle

Greeting Sambazonians,

Well Sambazon is growing so quickly that we are constantly looking for new places to spread the word about this amazing purple berry. Next stop, Seattle, Washington. This week Christa (our national demo coordinator) and I headed to the Pacific Northwest to get everyone hooked on Sambazon. We poured samples at in store demos, talked to thousands of people at Vegetarian Festival, and this weekend we will be out at Green Festival to stoke even more people on Sambazon Açaí.

Its been an interesting trip so far, lots of rain and sketchy weather but we came out full force. People were amped to finally try the real experience of açaí. A majority of people have heard of açaí and its nutritional benefit here in Seattle but they were introduced to in via the internet, email spam, and advertisements. It was amazing to educate people on the truth about açaí and how Sambazon is the global leader in the market. One women actually came up to meet at a demo in Safeway and proclaimed “hey I read about you guys in the New York Times article, you guys are the legit açaí company” its that type of feedback that makes our time in Seattle well worth it.

This weekend is Green Festival where we will be sampling our 10.5 oz juices and smoothies as well as Amazon Energy so come check us out at booth 1223.

Cameron Faist

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 5 - Sambazon Versus the Competition

Ok, so here’s the deal... It goes without saying that there are an incredible amount of companies in the açaí game these days. Naturally, each new company does their best to differentiate their açaí product and market its advantages. News articles on Monavie have pointed out that it only contains 20% açaí and is a blend of a large variety of fruit juices. We’ve also learned that one, individual 100g Sambazon smoothie pack (avg. retail price $1.25), has more açaí than an entire $40 bottle of Monavie. The fact of the matter is the more we look into other açaí products, the more we find that this kind of thing isn’t unusual. We’ve of course become familiar with the claims being made by Monavie and others around potency too...

We fell so deeply in love with açaí that we went to the Amazon to find the freshest, most delicious and potent açaí in the world – a kind of pilgrimage to the fruit’s source. When we learned locals made more money selling açaí than non-renewable forest products, we became obsessed by the pursuit of bringing the highest quality açaí products to the world and have spent the last 9 years dialing in our quality driven processing protocols and growing our conservation project. In 2006 we finished building the most beautiful, tricked out, stainless steal açaí factory you can imagine (really, it’s that insanely awesome), in a super remote town, right on the equator, in the middle of the açaí harvest. The factory has more certifications than a Harvard scholar and was built right on the river. The fruit is delivered by boat right to the factory’s dock and immediately processed. Sambazon Açaí products are always completely Organic = no artificial colors, preservatives or GMOs, Fair Trade, Gluten free, Dairy free and Kosher. We offer a wide range of premium açaí products including our Pure Açaí (sugar free) frozen smoothie packs. Rest assured, there is a method to our madness and we’re constantly thinking of ways to increase the value of our customer’s purchase. Please tell us what products you really want us to make for you by contacting us at info@sambazon.com.

NOTE: ALL CANADIANS – Firstly, you guys are cool. Secondly GOOD NEWS, our frozen smoothie packs can be obtained from any natural foods store in Canada. Here’s how: There are two major distributors of natural foods in Canada from which pretty much every natural foods store in Canada orders. Both of these distributors carry Sambazon Açaí smoothie packs. And so, all you have to do is call the natural foods store that is closest to you and tell them you’d like them to order Sambazon Açaí smoothie packs for you. The store may even be willing to pass on a discount to you if you choose to buy by the case! The names of the two distributors are Horizon out of Vancouver and ONFC out of Ontario. Did you know our frozen smoothie packs are the most potent source of açaí of any açaí product available – It’s true! And they’re our favorite way to make real deal açaí bowls and smoothies too!


Your Friend,

-Skanda

Rest in Peace, Hélio Gracie 1913 - 2009

Written by Travis Baumgardner, Sustainability Officer

Hélio Gracie passed away today peacefully in his home in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro at the full age of 95. He leaves behind his wife and 9 sons.

He was a living martial arts legend who pioneered together with his brother Carlson, the special Brazilian style of Jiu-Jitsu. He gained worldwide fame and recognition for developing a unique fighting style which allowed him to defeat opponents almost twice his size with relative ease, despite being mostly vegetarian and only weighing around 140 lbs during his professional fighting career.

Hélio also spent his entire life dedicated to promoting his family’s healthy lifestyle through sport and the Gracie diet, which had açaí as one its main superfood staples. The diet is based on three concepts, not poisoning the body, taking care of the body and respecting in one meal the adequate chemical combinations of different types of food. Food is viewed instead as a remedy that can nourish and cure the body.

Though many know very well Helio’s Jiu-Jitsu legacy, many do not know that Hélio was a native Amazonian, a “Paraense”, raised in the heart of the world’s açaí epicenter. His cultural upbringing consisted of eating açaí every day together with rice, beans and fish.

Many credit the brothers Helio and Carlos for bringing açaí outside of the Amazon to southern metropolitan regions of Brasil like Rio de Janeiro. At fourteen his family moved to Rio de Janeiro and subsequently created the açaí bowl and diffused the healthy eating habit throughout the Jiu-Jitsu community. The Gracie family’s Açaí Bowl is the same thick smoothie like frozen mixture made of açaí puree, Guarana Syrup, Banana and Granola that we all have come to love today and which first became popular in juice bars of Rio de Janeiro.

God bless you Hélio for bringing us açaí and inspiring us to live better and healthier lifestyles!

Amazon Energy Going Big

Written by Jeremy Black, VP Marketing


Well it’s been almost 1 year since we launched our organic Amazon Energy drink and the feedback from our friends and athletes is that it’s the best energy drink on the planet. Not only does it taste great, but it also delivers a real deal energy boost without all the jitters and artificial stuff you’ll get from other energy drinks. That’s because it’s made from all organic fruit juices and stimulating botanicals, and although it’s only being sold in select locations like Whole Foods Markets and other select fine retailers, it’s creating quite a buzz out there as a great pre-workout energizer, afternoon pick me up or cocktail mixer.


Here’s a few highlights from the last year:



Zdeno Chara, Captain of the top rated Boston Bruins showing us what get’s him amped up for a game.






Sambazon Ambassador Pro Skateboarder Bob Burnquist went huge and won the gold medal at ESPN’s X games fueled by Amazon Energy.










The possibilities are endless when it comes to making cocktails with AE.




Look for giant end cap displays like this one from Whole Foods in NYC ----Amazon Energy is on a special deal now through February 3rd 2 cans for $3!!!!!

We’re going to spread the love by adding some new flavors this year so look for news on those soon.



- Jeremy

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 3 – The Rio Diet

Get with the Rio Diet ™

Rio de Janiero... A land of beautiful beaches and even more beautiful bodies. What makes the people of Rio so attractive? Their passion for life and rich culture for sure! However, spend enough time in Rio and you’ll begin to understand that the Rio glow is a result of more than just positive attitude... Their diet consists of light, energizing and inspiring foods that help sustain an active, healthy lifestyle.

The Rio Diet™ has several simple but key components. Each one reinforces the other. First, eat fresh, nutrient dense foods like organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains - avoiding refined sugars, processed foods and artificial additives. Secondly, eat light. When you’re eating nutrient dense foods a little goes a long way. Third, find a source of exercise you truly love and play daily.

It’s no wonder Açaí is Rio’s #1 superfood and a daily staple in their diet thanks to it’s dense nutrients (antioxidants, healthy omegas) and it’s super easy to digest (doesn’t weigh you down). You’ll find people eating an açaí bowl or drinking an açaí smoothie for breakfast, after a workout or as a healthy snack. An Açaí lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle.

Following the lead of our friends in Rio will certainly help you look and feel your best.

Here’s a Rio Diet™ inspired superfoood smoothie for ya. Keep your eyes peeled for more Rio Diet™ related tips and recipes – coming soon!

10oz Coconut Water
1 Pack Sambazon Pure Acai
1 Organic Banana
3/4 cup frozen, Organic Mango
Manitoba Harvest brand Hemp Protein Powder


Your Friend,

-skanda

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 2 - What does Açaí do Anyways?

How quickly can I expect to start losing weight after taking açaí? What dose should I be taking? I’ve been taking açaí for a week now and I still can’t fly - What’s up with that!?!

It’s a little crazy to see how açaí is being perceived these days. Either, out of misconception or simply as an attempt to differentiate their product from others in the marketplace, companies marketing açaí products have created a lot of confusion around what açaí brings to the table.

Açaí’s most notable strength is it’s potent source of anthocyanins (powerful antioxidants- the red and blue pigments known for their anti-inflammatory and free-radical scavenging effects). But it doesn’t stop there. Açaí also contains phytosterols (plant compounds thought to provide numerous benefits to the human body, most notably the reduction of LDL blood cholesterol levels) as well as a unique micronutrient concentration which helps replenish our body’s electrolytes.

To break it down even further, açaí’s nutritionally robust macronutrient profile is: : 50% fat, 30% fiber, 15% protein and around 5% minerals/micronutrient. Like olive oil, the fat of açaí is ideal for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels. An abundance of fiber helps support healthy cardiovascular and digestive systems. Açaí’s protein component is made up of a nice balance of essential amino acids to help build and repair tissue.

So what can we expect açaí to do for us? Can it make you loose weight? Perhaps; If your metabolism is bogged down as a result of an overabundance of refined food in your diet, açaí can certainly help stoke your furnace, similar to how the intensity of a fire increases when we put a piece of dense wood on top of fast burning tinder.

Will açaí make me look younger? Overnight… probably not. However, eating açaí regularly over time is a fantastic strategy towards helping you age gracefully and may even help you avoid diseases associated with nutritional deficiency.

You see where I’m going with this… Açaí is indeed a true gift of nature without a doubt! Consistent açaí consumption over time in conjunction with a balanced lifestyle and positive attitude WILL yield great results for any/everyone! As with all things in life, the effect is cumulative and dynamic.

Preservation of our precious Amazonian ecosystems through purchase of Sambazon Açaí yields tangible health benefits for all.


Your Friend,

-skanda

The Real Deal Açaí Blog Series is a new posting series written by Ed Nichols nicknamed Skanda, Sambazon Co-Founder and Director of Consumer Relations. Check back every second Tuesday of the month for the latest and greatest insights from Skanda.