Brazil: Recipes and Cuisine

Brazilian Cuisine: A Background

The People

Indian

The area of South America now called Brazil has probably been inhabited for at least 15,000 years. It is still unclear where the first settlers came from, but their descendents developed a knowledge of the land and its bounty that is evident in Brazilian cooking today. This Indian influence is particularly strong in the north and is expressed in the presence of various fruits, nuts, greens and herbs. One legendary dish is pato no tukupi, duck with an herb sauce that numbs the tongue. Manioca, or cassava root, is a major starch in Brazil and the source of farofa, a breadcrumb-like condiment unique to the Brazilian table. Guaraná is an energizing rainforest berry that is used in popular Brazilian energy drinks.

Portuguese

Portuguese missionaries arrived in the 1500s and rapidly imposed not just their language but also their cuisine. Examples of Portuguese influence on Brazilian cooking include bacalhao (salt cod), and empadinhos, savory filled pastries.

African

The Portuguese brought with them shiploads of African slaves, and large plantations sprang up in the state of Bahia on the central coast. Bahia is in some ways reminiscent of the American South, and this is where Afro-Brazilian soul food is found. Vatapá, and moqueca are famous Bahian dishes. The use of coconut milk and dendê palm oil mirrors their prominence in the cuisine of the West African coast.

Other Influences

The great cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo have an international flavor. Italian influence is shown in milanesas, pasta, and cafezinho. Arab immigrants brought with them their recipes for Middle Eastern sweets. Germans fleeing the aftermath of World War II settled in Santa Catarina in the south and introduced a wide variety of sausages. The southern plains are a grand stage for the gauchos, Brazil's cowboys. Beef and barbeque rule on the pampas of Rio Grande do Sul.

Ingredients and Eating Habits

The most common ingredients in Brazilian cooking are black beans, rice, coconut milk, dendê (palm oil), manioca (cassava), chicken, beef, pork, sausages, shrimp, seafood, bacalao (salt cod), farofa (toasted cassava crumbs, a condiment), pasta, cheese, okra, squashes, and tomatoes.

Breakfast in Brazil is a simple, European-style affair. It consists mainly of coffee and bread, sometimes including cheese, fruit or even a slice of ham. Lunch is the main meal of the day and is usually large with two or more courses. Brazilians take their time with this meal. Dinner is eaten rather late and is either a light affair of bread, cheese and cold meats, or is eaten out at a restaurant with family or friends.

Brazil adopted a strong coffee culture from its Italian immigrants. Cafezinho, otherwise known as espresso, is drunk throughout the day.

Typical Brazilian Dishes

Salgadinhos (Appetizers)

• Acarajé (Black-eyed pea fritters)
• Bolinhos de Bacalhau (Salt cod fritters)
• Coxinhas (Chicken fritters)
• Empadinhos (Meat pies)

Sopas (Soups)

• Canja (Chicken and rice soup)
• Sopa de Abóbora (Winter squash soup)
• Sopa de Feijão Preto (Black bean soup)

Saladas (Salads)

• Salada de Chuchu (Chayote salad)
• Salada de Palmito (Hearts of palm salad)

Aves Domésticas (Poultry)

• Ensopado de Galinha (Stewed chicken)
• Frango ao Molho (Chicken in turmeric sauce)
• Frango com Quiabo e Angu (Chicken with okra and polenta)
• Galinha com Arroz à Camponêza (Country-style chicken and rice)
• Pato no Tucupi (Duck with cassava sauce)
• Vatapá de Galinha (Chicken stew with coconut milk)
• Xinxim (Chicken and shrimp in a ground nut sauce)

Carnes (Meats)

• Churrasco à Rio Grande (Rio Grande-style barbeque)
• Costela de Porco (Pork spare ribs)
• Feijoada (Black beans with sausages)
• Milanesas (Breaded veal cutlets)
• Pernil de Porco (Roast pork leg)
• Picadinho à Brasileira (Chopped meat, Brazilian-style)

Peixe e Frutos do Mar (Fish and Seafood)

• Camarão com Xuxu (Shrimp with chayote)
• Frigideira (Seafood frittata)
• Moqueca (Fish and coconut milk stew)
• Peixe à Escabeche (Lime-marinated fish)
• Siri Recheado (Stuffed whole crab)
• Torta de Camarão (Shrimp frittata)
• Vatapá (Shrimp stew with coconut milk)
• Zorô (Salt cod and shrimp stew)

Vegetais e Feijões (Vegetables and Beans)

• Couve à Mineira (Collard greens)
• Efó (Stewed spinach)
• Farofa de Cenouras (Carrot farofa)
• Feijao Preto (Black beans)
• Mandioca (Cassava root)
• Tutú (Black bean puree)

Pães e Grões (Breads and Grains)

• Angú (Cornmeal mush)
• Arroz com Leite de Côco (Coconut rice)
• Farofa (Toasted cassava flour)
• Pão de Queijo (Cheese bread)
• Pão Francês (French bread)
• Tamales de Yuca (Cassava tamales)

Sobremesas (Desserts)

• Arroz-Doce (Rice pudding)
• Bolinho de Chuva (Deep-fried pastry)
• Bôlo Bahiano (Coconut cake)
• Creme de Abacate (Avocado cream)
• Cuscuz (Cassava pudding in a banana leaf)
• Delícia de Damasco e Amêndoas (Apricot and almond sweets)
• Pudim de Caramelo (Caramel custard)
• Quindins (Coconut teacakes)

Bebidas (Beverages)

• Açaí (Palm fruit beverage)
• Batida de Coco (Coconut cocktail)
• Cafezinho (Espresso)
• Cachaça (Brazilian sugar brandy)
• Caipirinha (Cachaça cocktail)
• Chá de Mate (Mate tea)
• Guaraná (High-energy tropical berry soda)

Recommended Cookbooks

Art of South American Cooking

author: Felipe Rojas-lombar ASIN or ISBN-10: 0060164255 binding: Hardcover list price: $35.00 USD amazon price: $35.00

As diverse as its history and as varied as the countries that make up the continent, South American cooking combines the agricultural greatness of the pre-Columbian native peoples--responsible for cultivating the potato, tomato, chile pepper, and corn--with the culinary traditions of later arrivals from Spain, Portugal, the west coast of Africa, Italy, and elsewhere to create a delicious cuisine of dimension and depth.Felipe Rojas-Lombardi presents a spectacular array of both innovative and traditional recipes. Read more »

Brazil: A Cook's Tour

author: Christopher Idone ASIN or ISBN-10: 0517595559 binding: Hardcover list price: $32.50 USD amazon price: $59.00 USD

Christopher Idone, a pioneer of illustrated cookbooks, takes the reader on a fascinataing culinary and cultural journey through the vast and varied landscape of Brazil. Includes more than 100 rich, colorful photographs, a mail-order source guide, and a list of special places to visit in Brazil. 125 4-color photographs.

Cafe Brazil (Conran Octopus Cookbook Series, 3)

author: Michael Bateman ASIN or ISBN-10: 0809225948 binding: Paperback list price: $19.95 USD amazon price: $91.50 USD

Brazil is full of surprises. Surprising things such as having the largest Japanese community outside Japan (it's in São Paulo), a population and land mass on a par with the U.S., and a fusion population of native Indians, Portuguese, diaspora Africans, Italians, Spanish, Poles, Lebanese, and of course, Japanese. All these peoples have brought favorite foods to Brazil, adding to the pot. British food writer Michael Bateman's Café Brazil celebrates all this in a slim, colorful volume chock full of taste treats. Read more »

The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio de Janeiro, with 450 Recipes

author: Maria Baez Kijac ASIN or ISBN-10: 1558322493 binding: Paperback list price: $24.95 USD amazon price: $24.95

This book has over 450 recipes from 10 countries for everything from tamales, ceviches, and empanadas that are popular across the continent to specialties that define individual cuisines.