Guarana Guarana (pronounced gwa-ra-naa) is a berry that grows in Venezuela and the northern parts of Brazil. While guarana features large leaves and clusters of flowers, it is best known for its fruit, which is about the size of a coffee berry. Each fruit contains about one seed, which has about three times more caffeine than coffee beans. Caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system, the cardiac muscle, and the respiratory system. The guarana fruit's color ranges from orange to red and contains black seeds which are partly covered by white arils. The color contrast when the fruit has been split open has been likened to eyeballs; this has formed the basis of a myth. Guarana plays an important role in Tupi and Guaraní Brazilian culture. The name 'guaraná' is derived from the Tupi-Guaraní word wara'ná.The myth behind guarana's domestication dates back to the Sateré-Maué tribe, which states that a deity killed a beloved village child. The villagers find this dead child, and to console them, a different, more benevolent god plucks the left eye from the child and plants it in the forest; this is the wild variety of guarana. It then plucks the right eye from the child and plants it in the village; this results in domesticated guarana. The Guarinís would make this tea by shelling and washing the seeds, followed by pounding them into a fine powder. The powder is kneaded into a dough and then shaped into cylinders. This product is known as guarana bread or Brazilian cocoa, which would be grated and then immersed into hot water along with sugar. This plant was introduced to western civilization in the 17th century following its discovery by Father Felip Betendorf. By 1958, guarana was commercialized. Guarana is used in soft drinks, where it is sweetened and then carbonated. Additionally, it is used as an ingredient in herbal tea and made into capsules. Often times, guarana is marketed as a unique source of energy, distinct from caffeine; this is to take advantage of the fact that not many consumers are aware that caffeine is found in a wide variety of plants. In general, South America obtains most of its caffeine from guarana. Guaraná soft drinks are very popular in Brazil. Brazil, which consumes the third-most amount of soft drinks in the world, produces several brands of soft drink from guarana extract. In fact, sales of guarana drinks in Brazil are even greater than that of cola drinks. Guarana seeds consist of mostly reddish vegetable fiber and resin with a small amount of oil and water. Guarana contains different amounts of caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and other alkaloids, compared to coffee, tea, mate, or cocoa. Guarana is available in many forms, such as chocolate bars, capsules, powder, chewing gum, and syrup. Many of these products can only be found in Brazil, but you might spot some of them in health shops or Brazilian shops.
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