Nathalia Durval
Sugarcane juice, a typical drink at street markets in São Paulo, got an upgrade. At Cana Mania, a new addition to Liberdade, the garapa is blended with fruit and gains the consistency and temperature of a frozen product.
Son of Japanese parents, Bruno Gushiken works with his family at a sugarcane juice stall at markets in São Paulo, Yuiti, which has been operating for 15 years. When he was invited to serve the drink at a conference in Ribeirão Preto, a city in the interior known for its high temperatures, he needed to find a way to keep the garapa fresh on the trip.
Sugarcane and strawberry juice frozen from Cana Mania, in Liberdade –
The idea of turning it into a type of scratch card came up. It worked, and, alongside his partner Renato Nakazume, he started selling frozen sugarcane juice at cultural and gastronomic fairs. In September, the duo opened the doors of Cana Mania, in Liberdade.
There, the garapa is blended with fruits and other ingredients — there are around 15 combinations. The most popular are those with Sicilian lemon and strawberry. Another highlight is the frozen treat that mixes sugarcane juice and matchá, a Japanese green tea powder.
There are also alcoholic options, such as the so-called canarinha, a version of caipirinha made with sugarcane juice, vodka and Tahiti lime, and the one that contains rum, pineapple and coconut milk, inspired by the piña colada.
Everything there is freshly blended, and the final touch is a piece of sugar cane to chew. Prices start at R$20 per glass. It is also possible to make your own drink by combining ingredients, for from R$15.
The sugar cane used by the partners comes from a producer in Caçapava, in the interior of São Paulo. The plant is milled in its own factory in the central region of the city and, during the extraction of the juice, a machine is used that maintains the drink in a texture that resembles an ice-cold creamy açaí.
The result is a pioneering frozen treat in the capital of São Paulo. And that, on the days of intense heat that have hit São Paulo, is a reason for queues.
Source: Folha
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