Recipe
Guaraná — the traditional powder drink
About 5 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Measure half a teaspoon of roasted guaraná powder (traditionally the stick is grated on the rough tongue of the pirarucu fish; a fine grater will do at home).
- Stir into 250 ml of cold water or fruit juice; the powder does not dissolve, it only disperses.
- Drink at once while it is suspended; the taste is astringent and bitter and traditionally unsweetened.
- At most 1–2 servings a day and not in the evening.
Extraction
- Herb:
- půl čajové lžičky prášku (asi 1–1,5 g, tj. zhruba 40–80 mg kofeinu) na 250 ml
- Solvent:
- studená voda nebo džus, rozmíchat
- Shelf life:
- vypít ihned
- Target compounds:
- prášek se pije celý — kofein, theobromin, taniny a saponiny nejsou extrahovány, ale požity
Notes
Guaraná contains 3–6 % caffeine, two to four times that of coffee beans. Half a teaspoon of powder is roughly one weak espresso; EFSA considers up to 400 mg of caffeine a day safe for healthy adults and 200 mg in pregnancy — count your coffee and tea. Not for children.
Why it works
Caffeine in guaraná is bound to tannins, so it is released from the powder more slowly than from coffee — a subjectively 'milder, longer' effect. The safety frame comes from EFSA's caffeine opinion; 'natural energy' claims are just another name for caffeine.
Literature
- EFSA NDA Panel (2015): Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal 13(5):4102 — Bezpečné dávky kofeinu: 400 mg/den pro dospělé, 200 mg jednorázově, 200 mg/den v těhotenství.
Related
Guarana — Herb card
Powder — Processing method detail