On the island of São Miguel, Passion Fruit is grown greenhouses. The fruit, known as Maracujá dos Açores, has a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) designation meaning only Passion Fruit grown on São Miguel can be called Maracujá dos Açores. Several popular drinks are made using the pulpy center.
Licor de Maracuja
Maracujá dos Açores is eaten fresh and made into Passion Fruit jelly. But, the most popular Passion Fruit product is Licor de Maracuja. Passion Fruit juice or pulp and sugar is added to brandy to make Licor de Maracuja. The result is a sweet liqueur available all over the Azores (and Madeira, too).
Most bars and cafes will have Licor de Maracuja. It’s nice to sip with a cookie or pastry. One of my favorite spots is Mascote in Ponta Delgada. It’s a locals’ place that also serves food and they have bottles of Licor de Maracuja as well as Amora (see below) at the ready.
Passion Fruit Beer
Cerveja Musa is a Lisbon microbrewery that makes interesting beers with funny names like Born in the IPA and Red Zeppelin. They’ve partnered with Supléxio, a burger joint in Ponta Delgada, to make a Passion Fruit beer brewed on São Miguel. Look closely and you’ll see little bits of Passion Fruit floating in the glass. Tasty and fun!
Kima
Kima is a soft drink made with Passion Fruit and made at a brewery on São Miguel. Finding Kima is sometimes difficult, but if you want one, ask for “Sumo de Maracuja” (Passionfruit Juice).
Getting to São Miguel
São Miguel is about a 5 1/2 hour flight from Boston and 2 1/2 hours from Lisbon. PDL airport is about 3 miles from Ponta Delgada. You’ll want a car if you’re traveling outside Ponta Delgada since public transportation is spotty, at best, outside the capital.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird. He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
