Flavors · Piauí

Cajuína

Non-alcoholic drink made from clarified cashew juice cooked until it takes on an amber color, bottled and served chilled. The traditional production and practices linked to cajuína in Piauí are Cultural Heritage of Brazil, registered by IPHAN.

Traditional drink from Piauí

Updated October 2026

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Cajuína — Piauí, Brazil

Cajuína is made from cashew juice. The juice is clarified, that is, separated from the tannin that makes it cloudy and astringent, filtered several times and bottled. The sealed bottles are cooked in a water bath until the sugars in the cashew caramelize and the drink takes on an amber color and a sweet flavor. It contains no alcohol, carbonation, or added sugar.

Production is traditionally artisanal and family-run, carried out during the cashew harvest in the second half of the year. Production units are found in several municipalities of Piauí, such as Teresina, Parnaíba, Picos, Oeiras and Floriano, among others.

In 2014, IPHAN registered the traditional production and sociocultural practices associated with cajuína in Piauí in the Book of Knowledges as Cultural Heritage of Brazil. The designation was re-evaluated and revalidated by the institute, which monitored changes in production over the years.

In Piauí, cajuína is a drink for receiving visitors, Sunday lunch and as a gift. It is served chilled, in a glass, and pairs well with regional food.

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Where it comes from

Piauí
IPHAN registered the traditional production and sociocultural practices associated with cajuína in Piauí as Cultural Heritage of Brazil.

Ingredients

Clarified and filtered cashew juice. No alcohol, no carbonation and no added sugar.

How it is eaten

Chilled, in a glass, alone or accompanying meals.

When it is eaten

All year; produced during the cashew harvest in the second half of the year.

Your questions

Questions about Cajuína

What is cajuína?

It is a non-alcoholic drink made from clarified cashew juice cooked in the bottle until it becomes amber-colored. It is typical of Piauí and is Cultural Heritage of Brazil.

Does cajuína contain alcohol?

No. It is a non-alcoholic, non-carbonated drink made only from cashew juice.

Why is cajuína amber-colored?

Because the bottles are cooked in a water bath and the cashew's own sugars caramelize.

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