The South American snack with antioxidants: Açaí Bowl

Açaí bowls are a popular breakfast treat with a base of superfoods that can be endlessly customized. The bowls have bases of açaí berries — a fruit native to the rainforests of South America; they’re like grapes.

Açaí berries are available dried, frozen, as juice, as powder, and increasingly, in the bowls with toppings including everything from granola to seeds to several other fruits.

Açaí berries contain antioxidants that are believed to improve heart health, boost memory, and protect against cancer.

Market research firm Datassential reports that açaí bowls are found on 0.8% of U.S. menus, up 54% over the past four years.

Click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week and see how one restaurant is using açaí on its menu.