Brazilian food on the table

Picanha, farofa, beans and salad.

When I think of Brazilian food, I can not help but think of my own ancestors. The reason is very simple; I am the result of an unexpected mixture of races that would be only possible in a country like Brazil. As far as I know, I have Italian, Portuguese and native indigenous blood. Can you imagine the mess? It’s such a mad fusion of races, but I would say that I am very proud of my ancestors because this mix of cultures made me what I am today. 

Sometimes I find it wonderful that so many different people came to this land and everyone brought a special contribution, including food habits. Only in Brazil will you have this myriad of influences and that’s why it is so hard to describe Brazilian food. It’s a huge country, each region with its own favourite dishes and the variety is endless.

Feijoada

I was born in Brazil, but even me, I am not able to describe the main dishes of every region. The most traditional ones, of course, I know. But it does not mean that I have tasted everything or even that I like it. To tell the truth, I did not learn how to cook in Brazil. When I was young I spent many years in a Catholic boarding school and my first memories in a kitchen are not pleasant ones. I remember myself struggling to prepare dinner with other girls and a very bossy nun by our side. Believe me, it was not even close to be a happy experience. For me, it was just hell.

As I grew up, I did not have an interest to learn to cook properly. I was a very busy student and later I became a very busy Philosophy teacher and I would always favour a restaurant than homemade food. Only when I moved to France I made one of the most important discoveries of my life: Cooking can be fun. Not only because I needed to, (although that did help me to save money. Have you seen the prices in a Parisian restaurant?) but because I felt naturally attracted to the kitchen. Next step, I started honing my cookery skills, but I did not learn about Brazilian food at that time. I had been away from Brazil for a number of years and I felt very distant from my own culture. I did not eat Brazilian food anymore and rarely spoke Portuguese. Shame on me.

It is sad when you realize you can not cook anything from your native country. That happened to me, but I am trying to make amends. Last year I spent a few weeks visiting my mom and I made a huge effort to make up for my long time neglect. I did learn a few dishes and when I left I felt more confident and less ashamed. 

Pão de queijo

I am finally rediscovering the richness of our food. It’s a fusion of flavours and palates that can leave you confused. Things are changing quickly in Brazil, the country has been developing at a fast pace and the old traditional dishes have been replaced. But I like to think we are still a people that enjoy our rice and beans everyday. We still enjoy our feijoada and churrasco at the weekend. I have sweet memories of eating pão de queijo as well. Nothing can be more comfy than pão de queijo and coffee. Actually, coffee for me it’s kind of a “Brazilian trait” that I cannot get rid of. It does not matter where I am living, I have to drink my black coffee, first thing in the morning. If it’s Brazilian coffee, even better. 

Pudim de Leite

I have seen many foreign friends complaining that we have much sweeter desserts than in most countries. I tend to agree, but there is no harm once it’s just a small portion. I simply love brigadeiro and pudim de leite.

Brigadeiro

The thing you should know about Brazil is that we are very blessed regarding tropical fruits. We have fruits for every taste in the world. A favorite of mine is the small berry from the north of Brazil called Açai. Very nutritious, quite rich, which gives you a lot of energy afterwards. I love eating it in a bowl topped with some granola and banana. 

Açai with granola and banana.

The most famous Brazilian cocktail is our beloved caipirinha. You can drink it almost everywhere in the world. The main ingredients are cachaça, limes, sugar cane and crushed ice. I find it very refreshing and people are so creative that they have made many versions with fruits. But for myself, I enjoy the traditional one, with a touch of lime acidity.

Caipirinha

I have learned my lesson. From now on I will dig more and more into my native food. I think we should celebrate where we come from. Sometimes it’s not easy keeping our roots when you travel a lot, but it’s always a rewarding effort. I hope I keep learning and perhaps one day I will be able to honour my country’s culinary tradition.