Guarana is a typical fruit from the Amazon
Guarana is a typical fruit from the Amazon, found in Brazil and Venezuela. It is small and red, similar to pitanga, it has a substance similar to caffeine (guaraine), due to this stimulating property it is used for the manufacture of syrups, bars, powders and soft drinks.
The fruit is born from the guarana tree, in bunches. The tree can reach 10 m in height, has large, white and fragrant flowers. Its stimulating property was appreciated by Brazilian Indians long before the arrival of the Portuguese. Due to this property, the ingestion of guarana increases resistance in mental and muscular efforts, reduces fatigue.
Discovered by the German botanist F. C. Paullini, guarana trees adapt well to hot and humid climates, with average temperatures of 26ºC. The guarana harvest is done manually, removing bunch by bunch. After that, the beans are still fermented and dried, resulting in the roasted guarana bean.
Guarana contains a large amount of caffeine (2 to 5% against 1 to 2% of coffee), giving it the ability to reduce physical and mental fatigue, produce faster thinking, among others. Guarana also has cardiovascular tonic, diuretic action, helps in the fight against cramps and migraines. Guarana is used in the manufacture of syrups, bars, powders, soft drinks and by the pharmaceutical industry.
The fruit syrup processing process began in Brazil in 1905 by Luiz Pereira Barreto, a physician from the city of Resende, Rio de Janeiro. In 1906, F. Diefenthaller launched a soft drink factory in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Guaraná Cyrilla. The drink was initially astringent and markedly bitter, so it did not spread widely.
Antarctica developed a process to eliminate astringency and bitterness, highlighting the characteristic bouquet of the fruit and, in 1921, created Guaraná Champagne Antarctica, by the homonymous company.
In Serbia and other Eastern European countries, a guarana-based energy drink is manufactured, marketed under this name, but which, instead of having a sweet soda taste, has a bitter taste and cardioaccelerating effect.
In Brazil, guarana soda can be found in all regions and here I will post some brands found in the markets:
Guarana Conti (Casa Di Conti - Cândido Mota-SP)
Guarana Cyrilla
Cibal Guarani (Cibal)
Guarana Antarctica (AmBev)
Kuat (The Coca-Cola Company)
Guarana Okey Champ (Okey Soft Drinks)
Guarana Cotuba (Rainbow)
Guarana Coroa (Coroa Soft Drinks - ES)
Guarana Jesus (The Coca-Cola Company)
Guarana Purity (Leonardo Sell Drinks)
Guarana Vencetex (Vencetex)
Dolly (Dolly)
Maharaja (Maharaja Soft Drinks)
Dydyo (dydyo)
Leda (Lençóis Paulista/SP)
Fanta Guarana (The Coca-Cola Company)
Guarana Cruzeiro (New Age Drinks)
Guarana Funada
Guarana Jahuba
Guarana Conquest
Guarana Mineirinho
Guarana Packera (Pakera/RJ)
Guarana Tobi (Pakera/RJ)
Guraná Convention (Soft Drinks Convention/RJ)
Guarana Força (Reflexa/RJ)
