Brazil is a culinary wonder with a wide variety food offerings depending on where you are visiting. The world of Brazilian foods is divided into four distinct styles: from the North, North-East, South-East and the South.
In the South-East, Rio de Janeiro is known for their seafood. Also well known is ‘feijão com arroz’ or rice and beans. In São Paulo, the large Italian heritage expresses itself in pasta and pizza, while sushi is making a presents even in non-Japanese restaurants.
Below São Paulo, it the region referred to as South, churrasco (a Brazilian barbecue) is probably one of the best known Brazilian meals outside of Brazil.
In the North, Maniçoba is a distinctive dish served. It takes at least a week to make. One author describes it as such:
“…as the leaf of maniva (of the cassava plant), after ground, should be boiled for at least four days with the intent to remove the hydrocyanic acid that contains. After that is added charqui, fat, tripe, calf’s foot jelly, ear, foot and salted pork ribs, sausages, sausages and bunkers, basically the same ingredients of a feijoada completa. It is served with white rice, flour water and hot peppers to taste.”
In the North-East, the abundance of large cattle ranches and availability of fruit — mango, papaya, guava, orange, passion fruit, pineapple, and sweetsop – adds to the culinary uniqueness of the region. Vatapá (vat-a-pah) is a meal made from bread, shrimp, coconut milk, peanuts and palm oil all ground and mixed together (check out picture above).
Here’s an interesting recipe for Vatapa Soup on the net.
Brazil is a county of many choices, sounds and flavors and all to be savoured! Here is a link to more funBrazilian Recipes!
Whenever members of my family travel , we like to immerse ourselves into certain aspects of their culture. Since my daughters will be going to a convention in Rio de Janeiro, we thought it would be fun to look at some of the local fare. Charles Darwin ( I’ll cover that in another post) wrote in his ‘Journal’ about the two types of meals he found in parts of South America: roast meat or boiled meat and sometimes a little pumpkin. 😉 In the south of Brazil, they love barbecue or “Churrasco”. These were my kind of guys!
'Churrasco' or Brazilian Barbecue
Today, however, we will be talking about Brazil’s National drink… the ‘Caipirinha’ made with ‘Cachaça’ or Brazilian sugar cane rum. There are three types of rum you can buy from Brazil: 1) rum made purely for export 2) what they refer to as ‘industrial’ or from large operations and 3) the ‘artisian’. Personally, I like the sound of a smaller batch rum made and distilled in copper kettles, so the ‘artisian’ is what I was searching. I settled on “Cabana”.
Interestingly enough the name ‘Caipirinha’ means ‘from the country’ and some say it closely resembles our concept of ‘hillbilly’.
Here is their basic recipe:
2 oz. — Cachaça
2 teaspoons — crystal sugar
ice
lime
Process: take a few slices of lime and cover with the sugar and mash together, add ice, then the rum and stir! It is a simple yet nice drink… make one and it might become your favorite as well!
One of the many recipes from the site of King Oscar Sardines
Sardines don’t always make it to the top of the culinary list for many people, which I really find amazing. Frankly, they are enormously satisfying as they come in the single serving case! I think it was the ancient Greek traveler and historian Herodotus who observed that people are shaped by the land where they live . So, although we may move and transport ourselves hither and yon, there is something innate — especially of our food — that clearly speaks of home. As strange as this sounds, there is something in the preparation and enjoyment of sardines that speaks to my history.
The King Oscar site is truly a marvel in the consumer products world. I have visited many sites and this is quite complete and entertaining. They include videos of the history, the products and teach even the proper technique for opening a can of sardines. BTW, Laura has already warned me that when we visit Norway and Scandinavia, it will not be a vacation filled with sardine fishing boats and canneries. Oh, I guess we can fit a few other things in. 😉 The picture above is a few frames from a couple of movies on the site , the two pictures on the left show the ‘double layer’ of sardines being processed and the second are pictures from the recipe section of a Lefsawrap. ( Lefsa is a wonderful soft and tender Norwegian flat bread made with flour and potatoes, eggs, butter and sometimes a little cream.
Another popular company is Crown Prince Seafood is actually a third generation American Company. The small sardines are canned in Scotland.
I have yet to intrigue my daughters with the joy of sardines in olive oil. Allow me to share one attempt. When my eldest was serving in the invasion of Iraq, I thought this might be the best time to get her hooked and I sent her cases! She didn’t eat any, but she did make good use of them! I heard that these ‘gifts’ became ‘the coin of the realm’ to getting things done as there were a lot of men, mostly from Samoa, who also felt this dish ‘spoke to them’ of home as well.
So, what foods call to you?
Roger Freberg
PS. I buy my ‘double layer’ of ‘2 layer’ sardines (the BEST!) via Amazon.com
First, don’t think I am being critical of the cuisine of Iceland because it does speak to my more sturdy warlike roots. However, I do think the Viking celebration of Thor with ‘Thorramatur’ would rival the strongest cuisine of ancient Sparta. Thorramatur is a meal served during January and February in the ‘short’ months of light. This meal consists of various dried meats and Icelandic Vodka. One interesting brand is Reyka and here’s alink . Lift your glass and say “Skål.” As you might have guessed, there are other vodkas, but I am told that the lowest priced version and the most well known outside of Iceland is enjoyed almost exclusively by ‘alcoholics and the homeless’ ( ‘homeless’ in Iceland does sounds formidable and puts a new spin on the term).
Here are a few of the traditional items served during Thorramatur : putrefied Greenland Shark, the testicles of rams cured with lactic acid, blood pudding, rye bread, seal flippers cured in lactic acid, wind dried fish and the ever popular sheep’s head. Obviously, this is a meal not for the squeamish. Tradition held that all of this be served on wooden planks for four people each in order to create a ‘country’ feel and friendliness to the meal. I also learned what will ‘sell’ Icelandic cuisine to my very Scandinavian wife Laura is ‘Skyr’ — which is a very soft cheese served cold ( are we surprised?) with a topping of sugar and cream and made in Iceland for hundreds of years.
Nowadays, Icelandic cuisine prides itself on the quality of it’s lamb and the innovation of an annual chef’s competition utilizing only the ingredients from Iceland. Of course, for me, they have it all : Icelandic blueberries, thyme, seaweed and mushrooms! For us, the process of ‘fermenting’ fish in its preservation may seem a bit unusual, but not if you recognize that they have been doing this since the 9th century. In addition, smoked meat is an honored tradition and this is where they sold me. They have a smattering of vegetables: potatoes, cabbage, turnips and rutabaga which are often boiled and served along with fish. Be advised, this isn’t a country where a vegan could survive easily.
All in all, Iceland has a very interesting diet, but not exactly for the faint hearted. I do hope to someday visit and become well acquainted. BTW, in my journey, I did find a couple of recipes that although simple in their constructions sound very delicious!
Icelandic Pancakes (or Crepes) with Whipped Cream.
Directions: Separate egg whites and beat until stiff. Mix together all other ingredients and add the egg whites last. Bake paper-thin on a hot cast-iron griddle (about 9 inches in diameter). Spread with preserves, jam or jelly, one tablespoon whipped cream. Fold into triangles. Serve with afternoon coffee or as dessert. (Traditional)
Directions: Mix together the flour, baking powder, hartshorn and cardamom. Add the margarine, sugar, egg and the milk. Work into a dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide and about 3 inches long in a slantwise direction, using a pastry wheel and ruler. Make a slit in the center of each cruller and pull one pointed end through. Lower the crullers, one at a time, into hot fat and fry them until golden brown (deep fat frying). Lift them out and let them drain on a paper towel. Serve hot or cold.
Various ‘Old’ people once told me that time passed a lot faster as they aged. And finally, one day they woke up surprised to seeing an old person looking back at them in the mirror. I never thought of this as particularly comforting. My ‘belief’ was that age was a state of mind, and I still think it is… for the most part. And although I do admit that one year does seem to fold into the next rather seamlessly , I think there is a sensible reason for this. Most people enjoy the predictability of life when it comes on our terms and we find comfort in the routine. When life is routine and predictable , time passes quickly and hopefully more happily for each of us.
So many of my routines have always centered around food, oddly enough. So much so, that my daughter Karen after reflecting on my life exclaimed with astonishment that I was a ‘foodie.’ It’s fun when one can still astonish any member of the family. I have adopted a new comforting routine of a Sunday midday meal consisting of a Spanish Tortillathat always seems to bring a smile. When one smiles, time does often feel like it passes faster and leaves us a bit happier.
Nothing brings family together like a great occasion and good food! Left Photo (l to r) Laura Freberg, Leroy Sievers and Loraine Sievers (1980) Right photo: Kristin
So, find the routines — and food — you like and enjoy the journey and smile a bit more. This just may make you happier.
