Major Nations in a Global World: Brazil

When the Portuguese arrived in the 1500s, they brought their own culinary influences to Brazil. They also imported other dishes and flavors from their vast empire, including okra from Africa, while exporting Brazilian dishes and ingre- dients, including potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, manioc, and a drink called guaraná, made from the powdered seeds of the cipó tree. Portuguese traders also took native sweet potato and nuts to Africa, which later spread to North America, Europe, and Asia. Seventeenth-century traders also introduced maize to other countries, including those in Europe and Africa. When they were liv- ing in Portugal, the colonists had eaten mostly meat, fish, soups and stews. By the 1600s, only small traces of Portuguese cuisine remained in Brazil. It was largely transformed by indigenous dishes infused with contributions from India and Africa. Some dishes remain today, however, including a delectable shrimp soup to which, upon their arrival in the region, the Portuguese added Brazil nuts. A HEARTY MEAL If Brazil had a national dish, it would be feijoada , the Portuguese word for "bean," which is a hearty and robust meat and black bean dish brewed with a variety of pork meats and parts, including bacon, pig’s ears, pig’s feet, tails, spare ribs, and tongues. Cooks then serve the stew with rice, sautéed collard greens, and kale. According to legend, the dish was first made by slaves on the sugarcane plantations, using the scraps of meat their masters would not eat.

A bowl of feijoada , the classic Brazilian meat and black bean dish.

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CHAPTER THREE: FOOD AND DRINK