Despite the heat that usually occurs in many regions of Brazil at the end of the year (summer in the south of the continent), caloric dried fruits are part of the menu. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and dried fruits such as raisins, apricots and dates complete the list. The tradition comes from countries in Europe and Asia, where the winter cold imposed the need to eat dried fruits as a food that is easy to store and has a high caloric level. In Brazil, Christmas tables replace imported dried fruits with national variants such as cashew and Pará chestnuts.
A Brazilian dish by definition, farofa is a crunchy cassava flour that emerged in colonial times with the intention of replacing imported spices in food and so that the strong flavor of some wild meats would not be felt. At a time when free and slaves ate with their hands, the farofa played an important role in uniting food into bites. At Christmas, with raisins, nuts or touches of pork, it is the inevitable accompaniment to meats and stews.
It is consumed on Christmas tables in Brazil, but the tradition is older than that of turkey. The Romans had already incorporated roast suckling pig in their banquets since the 18th century, and it was mainly served in winter because it was a fatty and caloric meat. On the tables of the state of Minas Gerais, for example, the pig reigns supreme: the most sophisticated variant is the suckling pig stuffed with farofa and decorated with seasonal fruits.
Brazilians drink cachaça, beer and caipirinha, but on special occasions they indulge in wine for the most symbolic toasts. And although the wine culture is not very strong in the country, Brazil is the 13th largest wine producer in the world.
In Brazil, the traditional sweet recipe gave rise to salty versions, with salami, cod, sundried tomato, buffalo mossarela and even cassava with dehydrated meat (charque).
Food in Brasil by Jeniffer Cruz Maqueda.
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