Major Nations in a Global World: Brazil

MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL

Contemporary diners can still taste the

influence of the African slaves who came to

Brazil to work on the sugar plantations. Upon

their arrival, African chefs found ways to cook

African, Indian, and traditional Portuguese

dishes using local ingredients, including red

palm oil. The oil gave the dishes a special

color and flavor. Interestingly, the Portuguese

brought the palm tree to Brazil from Africa.

These dishes are part of the Bahia food tradi-

tion, named for the state of Bahia, in which

cooks used other ingredients including coco-

nut milk, ginger, and pepper.

One Bahia specialty is

acarajé

, a dish made from peeled black-eyed peas

rolled into balls or fritters and then deep-fried in palm oil. Cooks then split the

balls and fill them with such things as shrimp and onions.

By the early 1800s, African slaves sold many of their dishes on the streets

of Brazil’s cities, including baked black-eyed pea cakes, shrimp and bread pud-

ding, rice cakes, corn cakes, and sweet rolls. Many of these treats are still for

sale today from street vendors.

In São Paulo, diners often eat food with a North African or Italian flavor,

while some dishes in the southern portion of the country reflect the gaucho,

or cowboy culture. These dishes

include dried meats and a grilled meat

called

churrasco

Women selling

acarajé

, deep-fried fritters,

in Rio de Janeiro.

Acarajé

with shrimp and onions.