|
|
Brazil's cuisine is the product of tradition and
happenstance. Each region of Brazil - depending on its indigenous
culture, which European group colonized it, nearness to rivers or
the ocean annual rain and soil conditions - developed its own very
diverse dishes.
Food
The cuisine from Bahia dates back to the time of slavery when the
masters saved scraps from the table or leftovers from the previous
day's meal to give to the slaves. Some slaves were allowed to fish
and look for shrimp and clams. Remembering their cooking-pot
training from Africa, the women would put bits of ingredients
together and add the milk of coconuts or the oil from the dendê
palm. Over the years these concoctions were worked out in recipes
and were given names. Today it is called Bahian food. Some of its
delicacies are:
Vatapá: Shrimp are either cut up or ground together with pieces of
fish, then cooked with dendê palm oil, coconut milk and pieces or
bread. The dish is served over white rice.
Sarapatel: The liver and heart of either a pig or a sheep are mixed
with fresh blood of either animal; tomatoes, peppers, and onions are
added and everything is cooked together.
Carurú: Sauteed shrimp are combined with a very sharp sauce made of
red peppers and tiny okra.
In Rio Grande do Sul churrasco is the big dish. It is pieces of
beefs skewered onto a metal sword, and roasted outdoors over hot
coals. There is a tomato and onion sauce to go over it. The gaúchos
of the interior barbecue an entire steer this way.
If there is one dish that typifies Brazilian cooking it is feijoada.
In Rio de Janeiro, where it is especially popular, feijoada is a
complicated bean dish prepared with air-dried beef, smoked sausage,
tongue, pig's ears and tails, garlic, and chili peppers. It is
customary to fill a soup plate with white rice and spoon feijoada on
top. Over this is added pulverized manioc flour (farofa), a starch
that thickens the sauce. The whole dish is garnished with collard
greens and slices of oranges.
Drink
Many international travellers think Brazilian beer is one of the
best in the entire western hemisphere.
For generations there have been expert German and Dutch brewers
overseeing the manufacturing and processing of all major companies.
Brazil produces a powerful, clear, raw rum (cachaça) made from
fermented sugar cane alcohol. Cachaça combined with crushed lime,
sugar, and ice becomes a very popular drink called caipirinha.
Guaraná, a delicious soft drink unique to Brazil, is made out of a
fruit from the Amazon.
|
Brazil Country Information |
|
|
|
