Maracuja: Sumol vs Kima

One of the biggest treats about being Portuguese was discovering Maracuja when I was 8.

It literally means Passionfruit, and here it is essentially indicates a flavor of soda.

Yes.  Passionfruit. Soda.

I might have tasted it before my trip to Portugal, but during and forever after, I knew how to ask for it.  "Maracuja" gets you Passionfruit, but sometimes just the JUICE, so kids, be sure to ask for it by name; "Sumol", which is the company that bottles it.  It's their most popular flavor, but if they run out, ask for "Ananas" which, no is NOT Banana flavor.  It's Pineapple.  And seems SUPER sweet to my tastebuds, which is why it appeals to kids.

Only lately have I noticed that there is a Coke vs Pepsi fight.  But here the underdog is KIMA.  It's the brand manufactured (?) preferred and lauded over instead of Sumol in the Azores.  There might be a Brazilian angle here (as there are with lots of "Portuguese" Imported Food, but in MA and RI, I can still only see Sumol being offered.  Those of us who know still ask for Kima with a tear of Saudade in our eyes.

It's a way to indicate loyalty and to express affiliation through your purchasing power.  Choose Kima.  Be an insider.

Thanksgiving Leftover Açorda Alentejana Recipe

Thanksgiving at my house was always a weird experience.  A Father from Detroit and a Mom from Faial, the American half was the one to cook.

Or, we'd go to visit our closest relatives, the Portuguese side, and there'd be the traditional feast.  For starters: Chicken soup with lemon.  Then a huge roast Turkey, Giblet Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes (heavy on the cream & butter-like nothing I've ever tasted out of a box, or even on an American table), canned corn & peas and maybe a dish of Bacalhau casserole.  And for dessert, my PORTUGUESE Grandmother's (Vovo's) Apple Pie.  It was always juicier, with a flakier crust than any "American Pie" version I've tried. And she'd roll extra pie crust into the features of a face.

And somehow, there would always be football on TV.  The American kind.


Here's a link to a Portuguese variation on an American Tradition.  I haven't tried it yet, but maybe I will this year!   Açorda Alentejana http://catavino.net/portuguese-thanksgiving-leftovers/