Guarana is a woody plant related to the soapberry. It climbs adjacent surfaces and bears clusters of short flowers and fruit the size of a coffee bean. The fruits are bright red and split open when ripe, revealing a thin, white pulp and one to three shiny black seeds. Guarana seeds contain a relatively large amount of caffeine, tripling the proportion of caffeine in coffee. Native to the Amazon, guarana seeds were initially used to produce a drink commonly enjoyed by South Americans. However, guarana quickly disseminated throughout the world following the arrival of Europeans to South America in the 1500s.
Step 1
Grind the guarana seeds into a fine powder using the herb grinder. Place the powder into a bowl.
Step 2
Add a small amount of water to the powder gradually, stirring until the powder becomes a paste.
Step 3
Place the paste on the wax paper and arrange in straight lines. Allow the paste to completely dry so it becomes a set of firm sticks.
Step 4
Prepare the barbecue grill and light the coal. Once the coal is hot enough, arrange the dried guarana sticks in rows on the grill.
Step 5
Smoke the sticks for approximately 15 minutes or until completely dry and brittle. Remove them if they begin to burn or char.
Step 6
Grind the sticks using the grater directly into a cup of hot water and stir to make a guarana stick infusion. Alternately, grind the sticks to add to any other meal as desired.
Things You'll Need
- Herb grinder
- Water
- Bowl
- Barbecue grill
- Coal
- Wax paper
- Grater
References
- "The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug"; Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer; 2001
- "Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine"; Stephen Foster and Rebecca L. Johnson; 2006
- "Alternative Medicine"; Donal O'Mathuna; 2007
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