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Published: November 29th 2014
****First a note to those of you who have been asking me for years to put photos on my blogs....... If you reread my blog about the coatimundi than you will see my first effort at putting pics on. I will valiantly try to do more but not with this one as this is all about food.
Just like the pop song says " It's all about the bass" in Brazil it'a all about the beans and rice and little fried 'kibe'. I think we have been spoiled in this country to think of Brazilian food as only Churrasco - those long swords of meats sliced off at your table until you are in a meat coma. Yes, of course, they have those restaurants but much more common are the buffet places where you take a plate , load it with anything you want and as much as you want ,and pay according to the weight of the plate. After a few of these it was almost easy to identify a lot of the 'mystery concoctions'. I will give you a website where you can see better descriptions and pictures at the end of the blog. For now I will try to describe things I ate and others I'll just describe.
1. Pao de queijo- i was introduced to these within hours of arrival in Brazil. They are basically cheesy bread. They are best served warm and bite size ( although they do come in larger hamburger size pieces). Those are called 'coxinha' and can be filled with meat and cheese. Delicious.
2. Farofa- this is fried manioc flour and it is used as a topping for rice. Manioc flour is placed on every buffet table and is sprinkled on food like we sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Little bits of hard things are added to it like scallions, bacon, sausage, pretty much anything to add a bit of color and crunch.
A word do caution here- I broke the cover of a crown not realizing that the ' colorful bits ' were as hard a pebbles. You have been warned !
3. Quindrin- a creamy smooth and luscious coconut style flan
4. Pave' - a layered cookie and fruit concoction - quite good if you like that sort of thing
5. Feijoada - This is a BIGGIE! It is the national dish of Brazil and takes a lot of time to prepare. It is a black been and meat stew. The original recipe was brought from Africa by the slaves. It is served with rice, greens, the manioc flour concoction and usually eaten only at lunch as it is too heavy for an evening meal. Dessert is customarily a whole peeled orange.
6. Kibe- unbelievable good bite size fried snacks filled with meat, cheese or a combination of both. Sort of like mini croquettes. They are addictive and are even better if you convince yourself that because of their tiny size they possess no calories!
7. Requeijao- it is thicker, creamier, saltier and tastier than ordinary cream cheese. In my Araraquara family we went through a jar almost every day. Yummy on crackers, bread or fingers.
8. Guarana' made with the guarana' berries. It is a ' natural' source of caffeine, energizers, and sugar - all of which can be quite addictive. It makes a wonderful soft drink but beware of the sleeplessness that follows. It tastes like a mixture of ginger ale and sparkly champagne. It is sold as a soft drink. It's like 'Red Bull' without the warning label.
9. Angu- sort of a polenta made from cornmeal with a very creamy consistency.
10. Pirao de mandioca- a puree made from yucca (cassava). Usually thicker than mashed potatoes with a strong flavor. I'd say it is an 'acquired taste'.
11. Canjica- a pudding/porridge cooked with milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
12. Queijominas - white cheese and quava commonly called 'Romeo and Julieta'.
13. Empadao- a wonderful tort with chicken, corn, olives, and hearts of palm. My hostess in Araraquara made this and it was like eating a slice of heaven.
14. Cold coconut water -really - not sweetened or loaded with preservatives but a fresh, whole, chilled coconut split or drilled. Insert a straw and sip. Best had while sitting on or near a beach.
15. Casa de sucos stands - some of the best fresh pressed drinks you will have in your life. Anything from fresh ground sugar cane to mixtures of juices in any combo you desire.
I'm sure I ate a lot of things that remain unidentifiable but suffice it to say it would be hard to starve in Brazil.
I took a lot of the description from an article sent to me by the group leader of my trip. It was nice to be able to put a name to a lot of previously unknown foods.
Carolyn
You can try going to this site for more details and pictures:
Http://huff.to/1jKwl16
( numeral 1 jKw (small letter l) followed by numeral1.
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