978-1-4222-3296-5

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Brazil

explored the question of what it means to be Brazilian in terms of culture and society. Brazilian music has always been characterized by great diversity and shaped by musical influences from three continents. It is still developing new and original forms. The samba, which reached its height of popularity in the 1930s, is a mixture of Spanish bolero with the cadences and rhythms of African music. In the 1960s, a bossa nova craze from Brazil swept the United States, characterized by songs such as “The Girl from Ipanema”—although the sound was influenced by NorthAmerican jazz. More recently, the lambada, influenced by Caribbean rhythms, became internationally popular in the 1980s. Brazilian Cuisine When the Portuguese arrived in South America, the foodstuffs of the native tribes were simple. As the Portuguese and Indian cultures blended, howev- er, so did the cuisine. Locally gathered cassava, fruit, chilies, game, and fish combined with imported olive oil, dried cod, stews, and numerous desserts. African slaves introduced palm oil, coconuts, dried shrimp, and other typical African foods. Today, every region has its own festive dishes drawn from the past, but feijoada (bean stew), which originated in Rio de Janeiro, is widely considered the most typical of Brazilian dishes. It is often served to visitors, who enjoy the pot of black beans in thick sauce, cooked with an abundance of fresh meat. The beans are usually served separately on one dish and the meat on another, accompanied by finely sliced kale (quick-fried with a little oil and garlic), cas- sava flour or farofa (flour mixed with butter), and slices of fresh orange.