Romir Swar Week 13: Açaí Bowls

I am currently eating an açaí bowl. 

Looking at its composition and intricacies, there are so many feelings being induced by this palm-able bowl; it's kind of poetic. 

To start, sliced bananas rest slanted on top of the volcano of fruits—and other natural constituents (which I cannot name, literally). These bananas remind me of my cricketing days, the sweltering sun beating down as I spent eight hours competing while my friends relaxed in a refreshing pool. They remind me of how my body used to ache, how I cried both tears of pain and realization that I wouldn't be able to continue. They remind me of sports. 

Diamond-cut strawberries decorate the plastic bowl like rubies to a delicate hand. These strawberries transport me to the days when I could say grandparents, plural. I remember pacing the aisles of red-studded-bushes in search of the perfect berry, only to realize the joy of picking strawberries has almost nothing to do with strawberries. 

Pulpy gold—that most call mango—sits in cubes at the middle of this medley. Mangos remind me of my brother and how we used to argue over the larger slice, over who could finish their pieces faster (I think constant defeat in these competitions is where I developed my affinity for eating slowly and savoring flavor).

The bowl tells a story; it's like a piece of art—except ten times better because it's edible lol. 

The bowl reminds me that sometimes slowing down, listening, appreciating, and decorating just cuz, can bring little bites of happiness to life (pun intended). 

The bowl is now empty. I look forward to my next açaí bowl.

ok unrelated but doesn't that just look amazing.


Comments

  1. ShriramMarch 25, 2026 at 6:07 PM

    Hi Romir! I think we wrote pretty similar blogs this week; we both created connections between something we enjoy (food and music) and the memories that we associate with them. I think the fact that such a concept is applicable with such a wide variety of items, from food and music to scents and colors just shows how powerful our memories are. We can tie them to anything on this planet, and those seemingly simple items can trigger a powerful set of feelings, both good and bad. I love how you don’t shy away from the complexities of these emotions, either, as you seamlessly blend the aesthetics and taste of the food with descriptions of loss, competition, joy, and more. Your blog does a great job of handling these topics in a style that is both deliberate and conversational.

    Now that I think of it (strangely enough), I can’t actually think of any foods that I strongly associate with my memories. The most prominent example I can think of is a busy market in India selling jewelry, food, clothes, and more; buying slices of guava with salt and chili powder on them from street vendors and eating them while walking around is a fond memory of mine.

    I’ve never actually had an acai bowl before, but now I’m interested in trying one. Great blog as always.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tanisha MadhukarMarch 25, 2026 at 7:42 PM

    The way that you describe all the added fruits to your bowl reminds me of the stereotype of how Asian parents will cut their kids bowls of fruit instead of saying “I love you.” It sounds bad seeing them unable to directly express their feelings but it wasn’t until I was studying for my physics final last semester at 5:00 am and my mom walked in with a bowl of pears. That act of love and encouragement did not push me to pass the final but it made me realize that she believed in me, even if she didn’t express it.

    I love the way you describe the fruits, as these precious gems that are being used to decorate a beautiful canvas, it is artistic and I appreciate your admiration for them. While I was reading your memories associated with each fruit I realized how the smallest things can hold the largest memories.

    On another note, I have been craving Angry Chickz mac-and-cheese for the past two months and seeing your picture reminded me of how much I wanted it so thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lara Reyes-TerryMarch 25, 2026 at 9:56 PM

    I’ll be honest, I’ve never had an Acai bowl before, but they look hecka good everytime I see them. And slightly off topic, but your approach to breaking down this bowl reminded me of a poem I wrote recently about a fruit bowl! But, I love the way you described the formation of the fruits and slowly building their connections to things I would’ve never thought they could be related to. And yes, mangoes are in fact pulpy gold, I will not accept any other conclusions. But overall, I love your final conclusion that the bowl tells a story through its components. Instead of saying people are like mosaics or are multifaceted, I’m gonna say they’re like acai bowls.

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