Fresh mango and banana add a rich taste of the tropics to this energy-giving drink, while the star anise lends a delicious warmth and aroma. Bananas are a concentrated bundle of nutrients and their high starch content makes them a good source of sustained energy, but make sure you use them when ripe.
2 star anise
1 medium mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
juice of 1 large orange
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons camu camu powder (see page 15)
ground nutmeg, for sprinkling
SERVES 2
Soak the star anise in 50 ml/3½ tablespoons just-boiled water overnight. Discard the star anise and put the mango and soaking water in a blender with the orange juice, carrot, banana and camu camu powder then blend until smooth. Add pure or filtered water if too thick and sprinkle with nutmeg just before serving.