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Brazilian Cuisine

About 1 million native Indians lived in Brazil when the first Portuguese explorers arrived early in the 16th century. Beginning in 1538, almost 5 million Africans arrived before the abolition of slavery in 1888. Portuguese immigrants were followed by Italians, Germans, Syrians, and Lebanese. Asians arrived during the 1930's.

This population mixture has created a national cooking style marked by profound differences. "The cuisine did not evolve, however, by absorbing these influences, eliminating their identity in the process" explains Joan and David Peterson, authors of Eating Smart In Brazil (Ginko Press, 1995). "The distinct contribution of each is still apparent in many Brazilian dishes today. Interestingly, the national cuisine of Brazil is more a collection of unique regional ones."

If one were to divide the country into regions by cuisine there would be five:

North
(Acre, Amazonas, Amap·, Par·, RondÙnia, Roraima, and Tocantins)
Collectively, the region is known as AmazÙnia for it includes a large part of the rain forest, and tributaries flowing into the Amazon River. Culturally, the Amazon basin is heavily populated by native Indians or people of mixed Indian and Portuguese ancestry who live on a diet of fish, root vegetables such as manioc, yams, and peanuts, plus palm or tropical fruits.

The cuisine of this region is heavily Indian influenced. One popular dish is Caruru do Par·, a one-pot meal of dried shrimp, okra, onion, tomato, cilantro, and dendÍ oil.

Northeast
(Alagoas, Bahia, Cear·, Maranh“o, ParaÌba, Pernambuco, PiauÌ, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe)
Geographically the region comprises a dry, semi-arid region used for cattle growing inland from the fertile costal plain, an economically important sugar cane and cacao growing area. The spectacular beaches make the coast Brazil's fastest growing tourist region.

Within the State of Bahia the predominate cuisine is Afro-Bahian, which evolved from plantation cooks improvising on African, Indian, and traditional Portuguese dishes using locally available ingredients.

In the remainder of the coastal plains there is less African influence on the food, but seafood, shellfish, and tropical fruits are menu staples.

Inland, in the drought stricken, arid cattle growing and farm lands, foods typically include ingredients like dried meat, rice, beans, goat, manioc and corn meal.

Southeast
(EspÌrito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo)
The industrial heart of Brazil is home to the several distinctive styles of cooking.

In Minas the regional dishes include a lot of corn, pork, beans, and local soft ripened cheeses. Around Rio and Sao Paulo a simmered bean and meat dish of Bahian origin, feijoada completa, is popular especially in restaurants as a Wednesday and Saturday luncheon. Also consumed frequently is arroz-feijao, or rice and beans. Traditionally, black beans are prepared in Rio, red or blonde beans in Sao Paulo, and either black or red in Minas Gerais.

In Sao Paulo, the influence of European and North African immigrants is noticed in the region's cuisine. The majority arrived from Italy, along with many from Portugal and Spain, plus other Europeans and Arab countries.

South
(Paran·, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina)
To the national cuisine the gaucho, or cowboy, contributed dishes made with sun or salt dried meats and churrasco, a meal of wood fire grilled fresh meats.

The immigrant homesteaders, many from Germany and middle Europe plus a few from Italy, were accustomed to a wheat based diet. They were agricultural people who worked the land and introduced wine, leafy vegetables, and dairy products. When potatoes were not available they improvised and discovered the native sweet manioc could be cooked and served in the same way potatoes were served in their homeland.

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Staple Ingredients

Beans (feijao)
Beans appear on the table daily in many forms and colors. Some consider the black bean (feijao preto) to be the preferred national bean. It is not uncommon, however, to find dried red beans, blonde beans, brown beans, and pink beans plus black-eyed peas, chick peas, and others in the markets.

Coconut
An important ingredient throughout the country, it is used in soups, cocktails, poultry, fish, and shellfish recipes, as well as desserts and sweets. Various forms are utilized: unripe green coconuts (cÙco verde); ripe yellow or brown coconuts (cÙco amarelo); the soft, almost buttery textured meat from green coconuts (cÙco de ·gua); or grated (cÙco ralado).

DendÍ Oil (azeite de dendÍ)
A heavy tropical oil extracted from the African palm growing in Northern Brazil. One of the basic ingredients in Bahian or Afro-Brazilian cuisine, it adds a wonderful flavor and bright orange color to foods. There is no equivalent substitution, but it is available in markets specializing in Brazilian imports.

Dried, salted codfish (bacalhau)
Introduced by the Portuguese, it finds its way into appetizers, soups, main courses, and savory puddings. To freshen, one common method is to soak large pieces with the skin and bone removed in cold water for three to four hours, changing the water every hour.

Dried shrimp (camarao seco)
In various sizes, dried shrimp are utilized in many dishes from the northern regions of the country. Usually obtainable in North America at oriental or Latin food stores. Before use they are covered with cold water and soaked overnight (do not keep refreshing with fresh water). The water is discarded before the shrimp are used. The residual salt is usually enough that more is not added to a recipe.

Lemon (lim“o)
In Brazil the fruit is green, small and quite tart, more like our lime as is specified in most recipes here.

Rice, Brazilian style (arroz brasileiro or arroz simples)
Long grained rice briefly sauteed in garlic and oil before the addition of boiling water. In addition to garlic, some Brazilian cooks add small amounts of onion, diced tomato, or sliced black olive for additional flavor. Properly done, each grain is fluffy and separate from others.

Hint on making Brazilian-style rice: Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and saute a clove of garlic. When browned add salt. Add the rice and saute 2 to 3 minutes -- until it looks translucent. Do not allow the grains to brown. Add hot water (about 2 to 2-1/2 cups per cup of rice). Cook, partially covered, over medium-high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Uncover, lower the heat and continue cooking until fluffy.

Toasted Manioc Meal (farofa or farinha de mandioca)
Manioc flour lightly sauteed in butter until it resembles buttered bread crumbs. Other ingredients are frequently added (see recipe).

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