Achamango Paradise, perfect cocktail for the hot weather

 
It's getting so hot I feel like I'm going to melt. I don't have a proper garage so the car just sits in the driveway, soaking up every bit of the heat. On over 30 degree days like this, all I feel like doing is to sit in a well air-conditioned room and drinking a refreshing cocktail or drink and just laze around.

 
I bought a few achachas the other day from Seafood Smart in Springvale. I had no idea what an achacha was until I read the promotional pamphlet and did some research on it that night on the internet. It is a a tropical fruit from the Amazon Basin of Bolivia and in recent years cultivations of the achacha began in the North Queensland region of Australia.

 
During the research, I realised that there was an official launch of the fruit back in 2009 and many bloggers went to the event. It was held at Baroque Bistro in Sydney. You can find event details at popular blogs such as A Table For Two (Billy from Masterchef's blog), Grad Your Fork amongst many others.

 
Achachas are cousins of mangosteens and their tastes are quite similar. They have white flesh and a large brown seed in the middle with a sweet, refreshing and slightly tangy taste. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were! Mangosteens are not as popular in Australia as they are in Asia as they are quite expensive. The achacha was $9.99 per kilo when I purchased it which is not too bad, although a lot of the weight would have been in the thick skin.

 
In the excitement of the find, I made a cocktail which is suitable for the hot weather (in fact, I made a few drinks that day, stay tuned for more in later posts!). The most interesting thing is the fact that achachas are traditionally known as a 'new years' fruit in Bolivia so it was even more suitable!

Doesn't its name make you want to dance? :D

 
Achamango Paradise (an original recipe by Ichigo Shortcake)
Serves 1

Ingredients:

- 2 achacha pulp
- 3 tablespoons mango flesh
- 80 ml pineapple juice
- 40 ml Havana Club rum
- 20 ml Malibu mango rum (coconut flavour can also be used)
- sprig of mint
- handful of ice cubes

 
Technique:

1. Add half of the mango flesh, 1 achacha pulp, pineapple juice, Havana Club rum and mango rum into a large shaker.

2. Top shaker with ice and shake vigorously. The longer and harder you shake, the cooler and more flavoured the drink will be.

3. Strain shaker contents into a cocktail glass and top with fresh ice.

4. Cut remaining achacha pulp into strips. Garnish drink with achacha strips, remaining mango flesh and mint sprig. Serve immediately.

Note: The drink is best served with a cocktail spoon so you can scoop up the fruit and the skin from the achacha can be saved for making a refreshing non-alcoholic drink by infusing it in water. Recipes about this will be in a later post.

 
Summer is my favourite season, even though I say I'd like to stay indoors when it's over 30 degrees. I find a certain level of hotness makes me feel more alive and active. I feel like I should be going out more and there are so many nice fruits to enjoy, including this new find.

Question time: What is your favourite season? Have you tried achachas before and did you enjoy the taste?

For more information about achachas and where to purchase them, visit http://www.achacha.com.au

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