Brazil, the country we all know for it’s carnivals, beaches and street parades, is not just a  year long party! Like all other countries, it has it’s grey skies, depressing urban areas and huge environmental problems but what it doesn’t have is second rate food. Any food lover visiting the country will experience regional food at it’s best, drink loads of outstanding coffee and taste a host of different foods that most of us have never even heard of! The first people arrived in Brazil after they had walked over the Bering land bridge from Asia, via Alaska,

through North and Central America (or taking the coastal sea routes along the Pacific) and found themselves in the land we now know as Brazil 8,000 years* ago. The indigenous people were, largely, semi-nomadic tribes with no written records and certainly no permanent monumental architecture. Because of this, we know very little about the history of Brazil prior to 1500 and we have to rely on archaeological remains, in the form of pottery, to tells their story of quite complicated regional cultural developments, many internal migrations and every now and then, some big state-like federations. When the Portuguese arrived, the region we know as Brazil, were populated with as many as 2,000 tribes.

FEIJOADA

Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish. It’s usually served to a group of people and preparation starts the evening before it will be eaten. It’s made with quite a few different types of meat like a variety of Several local smoked meats, pork ribs and beef jerky that are simmered with black beans. Once cooked, the meat is removed and served separately from the beans on a large platter.  The dish is served with rice, couve a mineira (collard greens), farofa (toasted manioc meal), a hot peppery sauce and wedges of fresh orange.

Ingredients

• 750 g small black turtle beans
• 250 g Brazilian air-dried beef (Americans can use beef jerky, South Africans their local biltong whilst those of you living in Europe will have to use whatever local dried beef you are able to get hold of)
• 1 smoked pork hock (ham)
• 500 g pork ribs
• 500 g smoked chorizo (or any other spicy smoked sausage)
• 500 g beef sirloin (alternatively, use smoked pork loin)
• 250 g slab smoked bacon
• 250 beef tongue (optional)
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed into a puree
• 2 lemons, grated zest only
• 100 g fresh Italian type parsley, chopped
• 3 tsp cumin
• 3 large bay leaves
• 1 hot chilli
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil to taste

Method

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight and in a another bowl, soak the beef jerky overnight as well – in both cases, change the water twice or even three times.
• The next morning, put the beans in a large pot of water with the smoked pork (ham) hock and the dried beef, simmering for 2 hours until the beans are cooked but firm – remove the hock and discard.
• Add the rest of the meat, the bay leaves and the cardamom to the beans and simmer for 30 minutes, pouring in a little more hot water, if necessary, to maintain 2 cm of water over the beans.
• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions and garlic until they are tender and light gold in colour before adding the parsley,  the cumin, the lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add about 200 g of the bean mixture to the pan and mash the beans with the onions before adding this mixture back to the beans and the meat – simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the meat from the beans, cut it into smaller pieces or thin slices and arrange on a platter, grouped by type of meat.
• Serve the beans in a separate bowl and serve the dish as suggested above.

They subsisted on fishing, hunting, gathering and migrant agriculture and could be found mainly along the coast and the banks of the major rivers.  In accordance with Portuguese custom in most of the countries they colonized, they immediately married or cohabited with the locals which soon gave rise to a new Brazilian nation. Unfortunately, the Portuguese brought with them a host of diseases (tuberculosis, flue, smallpox and measles) and tens of thousands of locals died because they simply had no immunity. In some cases, whole tribes were annihilated without even having met the new settlers. To this day, few of the tribes still exist in very remote parts of the Amazon forest and all Brazilians today owe their knowledge of planting cassava crops to these tribes.

BRAZILIAN COCONUT CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 4 whole chicken breast fillets, halved
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 420 g coconut milk
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (taste for heat as the cayenne pepper is quite hot)
• 2 – 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste
• 1 lime, zest only
• 100 g fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method

• Combine the cumin, the turmeric, the coriander, the lime zest and the cayenne pepper and put in a large Ziploc bag before popping in the chicken fillets into the bag, sealing the bag and shaking it well to cover the fillets completely with the spices – set aside for an hour.
• Pour a little oil into a skillet and sear the chicken breasts until they are no longer pink on the inside – don’t lift up the chicken if it’s still stuck to the skillet, allow it to relax and then cook the other side – set aside.
• Stir fry the onions, the ginger, the jalapeno peppers and the garlic until the onion is translucent and soft before adding the tomatoes and cooking for a further 5 – 10 minutes until the tomatoes have become paler and soft.
• Stir in the coconut milk and half the fresh coriander leaves, pour over the chicken fillets, garnish generously with the rest of the coriander leaves and serve.

For the first 100 years Brazil depended on that most treasured of trees, the Brazilwood (image above), because of the red dye contained in the trunk – unfortunately the tree almost became extinct from overexploitation. At the beginning of the 17^th century sugarcane became the basis of the Brazilian economy (and society) and millions of black slaves were imported from Africa as labour because the Indians were totally unsuitable slaves. In the same way as the Argentinians had haciendas, the Brazilians had engenhos (directly translated as factory) for their sugar plantations. The situation with regard to slavery was horrific – not only were the mortality rates for both the slave and gold industry terrible, the female slaves did not bear enough children (one can hardly blame them)and some slaves even ran away to establish their own settlements (quilombos )in very remote areas***.  The Africans eventually formed part of the Brazilian population long before the end of slavery when they started to merge with the European Brazilian population through intermarriage and mulatto work rights. Whilst the French and the Dutch tried to settle in Brazil, they didn’t really manage to sink their teeth into the country and very little influence from both are felt. For 90 years Brazil was a monarchy, ruled by the king of

Portugal – in 1808 because of Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal, the whole Portuguese court moved to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro to be exact) and from there King João VI ruled his whole empire for 13 years!  His son, Pedro, remained behind and ruled as Dom Pedro Primeiro until 1831 when he abdicated in favour of his 5 year old son because he simply didn’t get on with the politicians of the day.  Pedro came of age in 1840, ruled for 49 years and was ousted by a coup d’état which instituted the republic. The Brazilian cuisine varies from region to region and apart from the Portuguese influence, has also been influenced by the food of the Spaniards, the Africans, the Italians and the Germans. In the past couple of decades some Arabic and Japanese dishes have also become part and parcel of Brazil’s culinary tradition. Whilst some dishes originated locally – like picadinho de jacaré (a dish made with the meat of an alligator), caruru (sun-dried meat, beans, goat and corn meal), feijoada (simmered meat & beans), tutu de feijão (a paste of beans and mandioca flour), moqueca capixaba (braised tomatoes and fish) or food made from indigenous foods like mandioca, yams, peanuts and fruits like pineapples, passion fruit, açaí and cupuaçu (featured separately in today’s edition), many were imported and thrive here. Mangoes, guavas, papaya, oranges and hog plums are grown and used with great gusto locally. A menu of Brazilian classics would almost certainly contain:

• chouriço (a very well known spiced sausage)
• salgadinhos (a cheesy bread)
• pastéis
• cuscuz branco – a ground tapioca pudding
• For snacks the average Brazilian will munch on local pine nuts (pinhão) that grow in the Brazilian pines in the south of Brazil- they are also successfully exported.

Brazil have their very own gauchos in the pampa regions who, like their Argentinian brothers, enjoy a good barbecue, known locally as a churrasco – the difference lies chiefly in the fact that the meat is grilled on huge skewers. It is, mistakenly, believed to be one of the main meals in the country – it isn’t as there are simply too many regions to have a single dish.

THE SOUTH

This region is made up of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul and it is the land of the gaucho and his cuisine -  sundried meat (image below the child), salted meat, arroz carreteiro (meat and rice), barreado from Paraná and the churrasco are commonly found here.  European immigrants introduced leafy green vegetables, dairy products and wine into the local cuisine and the local sweet manioc replaces sweet potatoes.

BRAZILIAN CHICKEN SCHNITZELS WITH TROPICAL SAUCE

Ingredients

• 4 extra large chicken breast fillets
• 2 large eggs
• 125 g fresh bread crumbs
• 125 g freshly grated parmesan cheese (Reggianito from Argentina is perfect)
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 4 large Italian plum tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped
• ½ medium red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 lemon, grated zest and juice
• 1 lime, grated zest and juice
• 100 g fresh parsley, chopped
• 70 g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 small hot chilli, chopped – for sensitive palates, remove the seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250 g all purpose flour
• Few gratings of nutmeg
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 160 C
• Place the garlic paste, the lime juice and zest, the parsley, the chilli and a little freshly ground black pepper and combine well – set aside.
• Slit the breasts open and butterfly each one before pounding them well between 2 sheets of cling wrap to flatten substantially, put them into a Ziploc bag before adding the garlic mixture to the bag, see to it that the breasts are well covered with the marinade everywhere and marinate for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, combine the mango, the tomatoes, the red onions, the fresh coriander, the lime juice, salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a mixing bowl – stir well and set aside.
• Combine the breadcrumbs with the grated cheese, the lemon zest & the nutmeg and place in a bowl before whisking the eggs with a drop or two of water in another bowl and in a third bowl, place the flour.
• Prepare the schnitzels by tossing them in the flour, dipping them in the egg mixture and finally, coating them in the breadcrumb mixture (make sure that the crumbs stick well) – set aside.
• Fry the schnitzels on medium – high heat in a large pan (or in batches) until they are golden in colour on both sides.
• Serve them with the tropical sauce either on top or on the side.

THE SOUTH EAST

This region is made up of (in alphabetical order) Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo the capital city and centre of industry. The most popular foods in Minas Gerais are chicken, especially frango com quiabo, ie chicken with okra (the chicken in Brazil is outstanding), beans, maize, pork and a plethora of soft, ripened traditional local cheeses. In Rio, on the other hand, a bean and meat stew known as feijoada was born from a stew that was made by African slaves and is so popular that it’s the national dish, as is feijão com arroz (rice and beans). Black beans are preferred in Rio, brown (rajadinho or carioquinha) beans in São Paulo and either the one of the other in Minas Gerais. One of the most interesting dishes found in São Paulo is the Virado à Paulista, made with a combination of rice, tutu de feijão couve (sautéed collard greens) and pork chops, preferably bisteca which is the name for the pork equivalent of a T-bone steak. The dish is served with pork rinds, chunks of sausage and a fried egg and banana – most of São Paulo’s food is rich with European and Middle Eastern influences and

thanks to the many immigrants from all over the world, menus are varied and a variety of cuisines prevail. Today even sushi can be found in non Japanese restaurants and pasta and pizza are popular too. Italians and Germans have made their culinary presence felt in Espírito Santo but the state dish, Moqueca Capixaba (a tomato and fish stew prepared in a clay pot), is of Amerindian origin – many homes and restaurants serve the food from Minas Gerais – typically farofa (toasted manioc flour with a little pork, onions, hard boiled eggs or vegetables), polenta, couve, chouriço (less spicy than chorizo), tutu à mineira (beans and manioc flour paste) and fried bananas.

NORTH

The food of Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins is strongly  influenced by the indigenous cuisine and in the state of Pará that would mean:

• Tucupi is a yellow liquid extracted from the manioc root in the same way that the indigenous Indians have always done, using a tipiti (a straw press). Luckily it can be purchased ready made nowadays. It’s typically boiled with herbs and is a basic ingredient in many dishes.

• Pato no tucupi (duck in tucupi) is made for Círio de Nazaré (image above) which is one of the biggest Catholic processions in Brazil – probably in the world. Around 2 Roman Catholics take part in the Círio de Nazaré that takes place in Belém, the capital of the northern state of Pará, on the 2nd Sunday of October and honours Mary of Nazareth. As can be expected, it’s a big celebration for the citizens of Pará. A whole duck is oven roasted until it’s golden brown and tender, then cut into chunks and simmered in tucupi sauce which has already been prepared and seasoned with garlic and herbs. Jambu leaves are parboiled in salted water and added to the tucupi with the duck. It’s served with white rice, pimento-de-cheiro and/or manioc meal
• Tamuata in tucupi – the tamuata is a horny-scaled catfish typically found in Amazon river. It’s thoroughly scrubbed, seasoned with fresh lemon and salt and boiled in tucupi sauce seasoned with herbs – to serve, stir in parboiled jambu leaves and serve with white rice, manioc meal and pepper.
• Tacacá is similar to pato no tucupi but made with shrimps and jambú, flavoured with garlic and chillies and is sold by the street vendors called tacacazeira.

• Caruru is made when peeled dried shrimps are sautéed with garlic, onions, chicory, flour and  dendê (African palm oil). Add water and simmer, thickening with sifted manioc meal and plenty of sliced okra that’s cooked until tender.  Accompaniments are the same as for vatapá.
• Vatapá here is different from Bahia’s because the version from Pará doesn’t include fish, peanuts or cashew nuts. Here dried, salted shrimps are peeled and sautéed with onion, tomatoes, green onions and dendê before coconut milk is added – thicken with rice or wheat flour (you could also use Maizena or cubes of bread) and serve with white rice and, if you like, boiled jambu leaves.
• Maniçoba is made when ground manioc leaves (maniva) are simmered over a long period of time – at least 4 days. To this cubes of jerked beef, bacon, a variety of spicy sausages, chopped tripe, veal shanks, salted pig’s ribs (sometimes even ears or paws) are added and then served with white rice, manioc meal and pimenta-de-cheiro (fragrant pepper).
• Pirarucu in coconut milk  is served with white rice and manioc meal after it has been re-hydrated and desalted. Thick, slices are simmered in coconut milk that is never boiled (it will curdle if boiled) – the dish can also be made from the white liquid extracted from fresh Brazil nuts that are also known as para-nuts – the nuts are found inside hard shelled pods so that they don’t break open when falling down from the very high trees. Image of coconut seller in Rio, below.

• Crab a la Toc Toc is the end result when whole, live crabs are boiled in water and seasoned with salt, fresh lemon juice and garlic – served hot in the shell it’s a real treat.  Toc-toc is alliterative for the sound of wood on shell.
• Barreado is typically prepared along the coast of Paraná and it probably originated in the Portuguese Azores islands. It’s a meat stew served with rice is  prepared by cooking in a terracotta pot underground for about 20 hours which the amount of time required to cook dissolve in a thick sauce. The pot is layered with banana leaves and it’s sealed with hardened manioc flour paste to avoid the heat from escaping.

Acará, Acari, Aracu, Arapaima, Dourada, Filhote, Gó, Gurijuba, Mapará, Pacu, Pescada, Piramutaba, , Piranha, Pirarucu, Pratiqueira, Tambaqui, Tamuatá, Tilápia, Traíra, Tucunaré and Sarda all have one thing in common – they are types of fish and seafood eaten in this region.

NORTH EAST

Image of Moqueca, the staple dish from the Bahia region, above. This part of Brazil consists mainly of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe and is a narrow, fertile coastal plain with loads of rain in the populous regions, a narrow transition zone called the Agreste and a semi-arid region known as the Sertão that’s cattle ranch land. The coastal regions are rich in tropical vegetables and fruit, sugarcane and cacao. The predominant cuisine in Bahia is Afro-Bahian that is a fusion of African, Amerindian and traditional Portuguese food cooked with available  local ingredients. Vatapá (see above), moqueca and acarajé (a salted muffin made with white beans & onions and fried in dendê is filled with dried shrimps, chillies and caruru (as in the southeast but containing ground cashew nuts), smoked shrimps, onion, pepper and garlic) are a few of the specialities. White rice and black beans are the staple food but you’ll also find the northern  interpretation of farofa here as well as paçoca (made from sun-dried beef, cassava flour and red onions that have been ground in a mortar and pestle), canjica (a type of corn), pamonha (paste made from maize and milk that has been boiled  andwrapped in corn husks) and quibebe(a winter squash soup). Along the rest of the coast, African influence diminishes marketdly and seafood, shellfish, coconuts and tropical fruit are found on almost every menu. Bahian Pataxó Indians below.

*The bridge was a land bridge, around 1,600 km long and joining Alaska and Siberia during the ice age. A few thousand people (at most) survived the last Ice Age but were isolated from their ancestors for at least 5,000 years before they decided to take a walk to the Americas about 16,500 years ago.  As you can see, it took them a goodly while to get to Brazil.

** Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese, discovered Brazil  on April 22, 1500 and, until the 19th centuries, the country a Portuguese colony – on the 7^th of September  1822, Brazil became independent, choosing to become the Empire of Brazil.  Clearly everyone wasn’t happy with the monarchy and in 1889 a military coup ensured the establishment of a republican government.

*** The quilombo of Palmares was the biggest runaway slave settlement in the Americas and by the 1670’s consisted of around 30,000 people! Sadly the settlements were outgunned and eventually destroyed by  government and private troops.

BRAZILIAN COFFEE BISCUITS

Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 150 g butter
• 100 g dark brown soft sugar
• 2 tbsp good quality instant coffee (like Nescafe Gold)
• 1 tbsp dark cocoa
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp 2% milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 C and line the baking trays that you will be using with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter, the brown sugar, the caster sugar, the egg, the vanilla extract and the milk until pale and fluffy.
• Mix the flour, the salt, the bicarbonate of soda, the cocoa, the baking powder and the instant coffee in another bowl before adding the sugar to mix thoroughly into a dough.
• Shape the dough into balls – if it’s too soft to shape, refrigerate and then make the balls.
• Place them 5 cm apart on the prepared baking trays before flattening them with a glass dipped in sugar to a thickness of about a cm.
• Bake them in for 8 to 10 minutes until they are  a light golden brown.