As you know
Brazil is almost the same size of Australia, but there are 1.6 billion people
in Brazil. With a Portuguese colonization and situated in America, it is
possible to find a different cultures in the whole country.
It is not
possible approach here all the Brazilian particular ingredients, I’ll start
from the national ones then I’ll try to get some specials each region, but
again, it’s not close to the hole food culture, it is just a small sample of
Brazilian multicultural environment
1.
North
Region
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| North Region Brazil |
The North Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Norte do Brasil) is the largest Region of
Brazil, corresponding to 45% of the national territory.
It is
composed by the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and
Tocantins.
Its
demographic density is the lowest in Brazil considering all the regions of the
country, with only 3.8 inhabitants per km2.
In Amazon Cuisine especially in
state of Acre there are some special products that should be mentioned before
talk about the dishes specifically:
1.1
Tucupi
Tucupi is a
yellow sauce extracted from wild manioc root in Brazil's Amazon jungle.
Tucupi is
prepared by peeling, grating and juicing the manioc. Traditionally a
basket-like instrument called the tipiti was used. After being squeezed through
the tipiti, the juice is left to "rest" so that the starch separates
from the liquid (tucupi).
Poisonous
at this stage, tucupi must be boiled (for hours 7 hours at least) to eliminate
the poison. The tucupi can then be used as a sauce in cooking. It is seasoned
with salt, alfavaca and chicória.
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| Tucupi |
Tucupi is very common in the cuisine of
Brazilians of the Amazon region. Duck in tucupi (Pato no tucupi in Portuguese) is a much appreciated dish. A duck
which has been previously roasted, and then shredded, is brought to a boil in a
sauce of tucupi and jambu (Acmella oleracea).
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| Duck in Tucupi |
Tacacá is another speciality of Amazonian
cuisine, principally “revered” in the state of Pará. Served in a bowl made from
a gourd, boiling tucupi is poured over manioc flour. A generous portion of
jambú and dried shrimp complete the dish.
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| Tacaca |
The acidic nature of tucupi
accentuates the effects of jambú, which cause the lips and mouth to tingle or
feel numbness.
1.2
Jambu
Jambu is native
to the tropics of Brazil and is grown as an ornamental (and occasionally as a
medicinal) in various parts of the world. A small, erect plant, it grows
quickly and sends up gold and red flower inflorescences. It is frost-sensitive
but perennial in warmer climates.
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| Jambu |
For
culinary purposes, small amounts of shredded fresh leaves add a unique flavour
to salads. Cooked leaves lose their strong flavour and may be used as leafy
greens. Both fresh and cooked leaves are used in dishes (such as stews) in
Northern parts of Brazil, especially in the state of Pará, often combined with
chillies and garlic to add flavour to food.
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| Jambu (other specie) |
It also can
be found at Southeast Asian dishes, such as salads and Thai cuisine the leaves
are one of the ingredients of a tradicional dish.
The leaves
of this plant is used by Bodo-tribals of Bodoland, Assam (India) in preparing a
spicy chicken soup, mixed with other common spices. Bodos believe that this
soup provides relief from cold and cough.
1.3
Leaves
of maioc: Manicoba
Maniçoba is a festive dish in
Brazilian cuisine, especially from the Amazonian region. It is of indigenous
origin, and is made with leaves of the Manioc plant that have been finely
ground and boiled for a week (at least four days with the intent to remove the
hydrogen cyanide that contains). To these boiled leaves (called
"maniva" in Portuguese), salted pork, dried meat, and smoked
ingredients, such as bacon and sausage, are added. The dish is served with rice
and cassava meal (called "farinha").
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| Maniçoba |
2.
Northeast
Region
The Northeast Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Nordeste do Brasil) is
composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba,
Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18% of the Brazilian
territory. The Northeast Region has a population of 53.6 million people, which
represents 28% of the total number in the whole country.
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| Northeast Region Brazil |
It is famous in Brazil for its hot weather,
beautiful beaches, rich culture (unique folklore, music, cuisine, literature),
Carnival and St. John's festivities, the sertão and being the birthplace of the
country.
Dishes particular to the region
include carne de sol, farofa, acarajé,
vatapá, paçoca, canjica, pamonha, quibebe, bolo de fubá cozido, sururu de
capote and many others. Salvador was the first Brazilian capital.
2.1
Carne
de Sol
It is an ingredient that consists of
heavily salted beef, which is exposed to the sun for one or two days to cure.
Carne-de-sol is sometimes fried and
served as a hamburger, or baked in the oven with manioc or potato puree called “Escondidinho” .
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| Escondidinho |
2.2 Acaraje
It is a dish made from peeled black-eyed
peas formed into a ball and then deep-fried in dendê (palm oil). It is found in
the Nigerian and Brazilian cuisines. The dish is traditionally encountered in
Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, especially in the city of Salvador, often
as street food, and is also found in most parts of Nigeria, Ghana and the
Republic of Benin.
It is served split in half and then
stuffed with vatapá and caruru – spicy pastes made from shrimp,
ground cashews, palm oil and other ingredients. The most common way of eating
acarajé is splitting it in half, pouring vatapá and/or caruru, a salad made out
of green and red tomatoes, fried shrimps and homemade hot pepper sauce.
Vatapa: ade from bread, shrimp, coconut milk, finely
ground peanuts and palm oil mashed into a creamy paste.
Caruru: made from okra, onion,
shrimp, palm oil and toasted nuts (peanuts and/or cashews).
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| Acaraje |
2.3 Cakes
Bolo de rolo: a roll cake, a thin mass wrapped with melted guava, also called rocambole.
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| Bolo de Rolo |
Corn flour cake:
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| Corn flour cake |
3. Central-West t Region
The Central-West Region of Brazil
(Portuguese: Região Centro-Oeste do Brasil) is composed of the states of Goiás,
Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; along with Distrito Federal (Federal
District), where Brazil's national capital, Brasília, is situated. This Region
is right in the heart of Brazil, representing 19% of the national territory.
The cuisine combines the comida do
sertão of the northern interior with the comida mineira, of neighboring state
Minas Gerais. The hallmarks of the food of this region combine flavors heavy
with indigenous influences. This cuisine pronounces itself with traditional
tubers, fruit, vegetables, pork, and beef, borrowing from comida goiana (from
the state of Goiás) a food characterized by free range chickens and saffron.
Brasília's peppers are small and yellow, known as pimenta de cheiro, which translates
to "pepper of perfume," a highly aromatic cousin of the habañero.
Other favorites include: Palmito (hearts of palm), arroz carreteiro ("Truck Driver's Rice," a dish of rice
seasoned with dried beef), doce de casca de laranja (candied orange peel), and
doce de figo (candied figs).
