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Influences on Brazilian cuisine

Brazilian cuisine is based on Portuguese cuisine, with other
two great influences: the indigenous and the African. But there were numerous variations, from the
ingredients to names and combinations, as can be seen, for example, in the case of stew, which in
Portugal is rich in pork derivatives and, in Brazil, abundant in vegetables and beef.

Food has always been and still is closely related to the history of different peoples.
Thus, in order to characterize and understand the origins of our eating habits, it is necessary to
to remember the past, indigenous customs, colonization, the effects of slavery, and the evolution of
society as a whole until reaching the current period.

The indigenous contribution

The first account of indigenous food is the letter from Pero Vaz de Caminha, the scribe.
from Cabral's fleet, 501 years ago. The captain of the vessel and also responsible for the discovery
from Brazil, Pedro Álvares Cabral reports on the behavior of the indigenous people: "they gave them there
to eat: bread and cooked fish, honey and past fires. They didn't want to eat almost any of that; if
they proved something, soon they were throwing it away." The same happened with the water and with the wine, but
just at first, as they got used to it
little by little with what the Europeans offered them.
Before the start of colonization, the indigenous people demonstrated, with regard to the way of
food economy, a common general aspect: the collecting activity. Our Indians lived at the expense
of nature,
collecting plants, land animals, from the sea or rivers.
Vegetarian food undoubtedly played a huge role and it was from the gathering of fruits that some
Indians, among whom the Tupi Guaranis, moved to arboriculture and, later, to agriculture.
rudimentary. This incipient agriculture required them to always change land. Hence the
Tupi nomadism, always emigrating in search of fertile lands. But the Indians did not live only
of vegetation. Hunting and fishing were important subsistence activities. The ancient Tupis were
considered excellent hunters and fishermen and possessed significant equipment for such
activities, mainly archery.
Men hunted and fished while women gathered and performed tasks.
agricultural. Furthermore, the men baked and the women cooked, and precisely because of the
the need for equipment to carry out their activities, they were the inventors of
ceramics, pottery, clay pots, plates etc.
The Indians did not know sugarcane, which only arrived with colonization, but they used honey from bees,
which existed in abundance in our forests. With honey, the Indian also made drinks.

The salt was extracted from the vegetation and not from the sea water. The Indians burned the trunks of the
palms until they turned to ashes, which were then boiled to obtain the brown-colored salt.
In 1549, Father Manoel da Nóbrega, the leader of the first Jesuits who came to Brazil, stated
that "the common food of the land is a root from a tree that they call cassava." Caminha mentions,
wrongly, yam as a native food. It was actually our cassava.
Yam was brought to Brazil later, by the Africans.
The most important foods for the indigenous people were produced by the land, such as roots, leaves,
legumes and fruits. The following are mentioned: pineapple, jabuticaba, cashew, cajá, araçá, guava, passion fruit, papaya,
orange, lemon
chestnuts, corn, cassava, taro (and not yam), beans, broad beans, peanuts...
Many of the foods consumed by the aborigines were brought by European settlers from their
countries of origin or from other colonies. This is the case of sweet potato, introduced with the slaves.
Africans, and the papaya trees, brought to the indigenous fields by the Luso.
The Indians prepared fermented beverages, just as the Europeans produced wine. The preparation
it was up to the indigenous woman, who used the most different resources: corn, cassava, cocoa,
cupuaçu
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cashew, açaí, buriti etc. The chroniclers of the 16th and 17th centuries described such drinks as
fortifying and delicious, despite the instinctive repugnance, since some suffered from chewing
preview to activate the
fermentation.
The indigenous person had no water supply in their huts. When they were thirsty, they drank outside, straight from the spring.
Portuguese was the one who suggested having water at home.
The meats consumed by the natives, some incompatible with our palate, were the most
varied: monkeys, tapirs, fish, agoutis, pacas, hawks, lizards, pigs, and even snakes
rattlesnake.
Father Anchieta describes these habits literally: "almost all the Indians take to the fire and
they eat those snakes and others, after they have removed their heads; just as they do not spare the...
frogs, lizards, rats and other animals of this type. Among the various fish they ate,
the fish that can be mentioned are the pescada, the mandubi, the mapará, the acará, the surubim, the tucunaré, the rays,
arapaima, the manatee, pacu, etc. Crustaceans and mollusks were also appreciated by
aborigines.
The unique appetite of the Tupis can also be observed through the practice of cannibalism.
human flesh was a festive dish that they enjoyed after the battles. But it is proven
that cannibalism was a ritual, an exceptional practice. Our indigenous people only ate human flesh.
of a prisoner of war of proven heroism, through certain ceremonies, judging,
in this way, assimilate the heroic qualities of the enemy.
The Indian did not practice agriculture and his sustenance was based on what the land had to offer.
There was no scarcity because whenever there was a threat of hunger, the tribe emigrated in search of land.
more fertile, more abundant, and from regions that exhibited numerous game. This mobility
guarantees food balance for the group and can explain the strength and physical resistance of it
population.

Examples of indigenous contribution

The contribution of indigenous customs to current food is, without a doubt, immense. We cite
some examples:
The use of buriti pulp in the preparation of refreshments and other foods.
The use of cassava in the production of various foods: tapioca, flours, cauim
(indigenous wine).
Guaraná soda. The indigenous people used to drink this beverage to have energy.
to hunt.
They also believed that guarana cured fevers, headaches, and cramps. Its effect
diuretic was already known.
The paçoca, a food made with roasted meat and crushed cassava flour in a
a type of pestle. It became the bundle of the bandeirantes as it was suitable for travel through the
backcountry.
The habit of eating shrimp, lobster, and crab with dry chili sauce. Such a custom
it was inherited from both the Indians and the Africans.
A moqueca. For the Indians, it referred only to the way of preparing fish, made
so in the moquém (utensil for cooking fish). Nowadays, there is a great variety of
ingredients, whether in the type of sauce, seasoning or meat used.
The caruru, a dish made with vegetables such as okra, mustard greens, or taro, which accompanies
the most different types of meat, such as fish, stews, jerky, chicken, crab, etc.
Porridge, mush, tapioca, chili (yellow and red), mate.
Brazilian cuisine has undergone a series of influences, but indigenous cuisine has not dissolved in the
acculturation, like black cuisine, today hardly legitimate. Indigenous food has remained
relatively faithful to the models of the 16th century and to the standards of the flour's own preparation,
roasted meat and fish, fruit drinks.
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The contribution of the Portuguese

It is not known exactly when true Brazilian food emerged. Often there is no
not even certain if certain plants are Brazilian or not. Can you imagine a Brazil without
mangueira, without jackfruit, without custard apple? Well, Brazil was like that before the Portuguese. They
they brought these products to plant.
The first to eat Brazilian food were the crew members of Pedro Álvares Cabral's fleet,
discoverer of Brazil. They reported the existence of products such as heart of palm, yam, and shrimp.
Regarding the heart of palm, Pero Vaz de Caminha, the scribe of Cabral's fleet, in general so
meticulous, does not mention in your letter how the palm tree was cut down to extract the vegetable heart.
He only says:
There are many palm trees, not very tall; and very good palm hearts. We harvested and ate many.
"them." This simplified description led some scholars to think that they were about
of bananas
and not of heart of palm. The doubt still remains...
The yam was also not yam, that came later, from the islands of Cape Verde and Asia. It was about
of aipim.
Caminha speaks of other seeds, roots, and fruits, which he does not list, and praises the state of health of the
Indians, who did not like Portuguese delicacies at all. When they tasted the wine, they barely managed to.
they put their mouths; cooked bread and fish, sweets, honey and dried figs barely tasted. With the
they acted differently: they ate, among other things, cooked ham and rice and
they drank wine.
The Indian, as Caminha mentions in his letter, was suspicious of the chicken: "they were almost afraid of it, and did not approach it."
they wanted to put their hand; and then they took her as if startled." The first taboo of the natives was, apparently
It seems, the chicken. One of the first foreign navigators recounts that, before 1550, there was
many of these animals, but the natives did not consume them.
From the moment they arrived in Brazil, the European colonists found themselves 'forced' to
adjust to the type of food economy.
They organized their gardens in the manner of the Indians and promoted hunting with their help.
fishing. Fish dishes have become indispensable for banquets and parties. But this adaptation
The food customs of the colony did not prevent the Portuguese from trying to introduce
products from overseas, such as cattle, cereals, wheat, poultry, cabbages, lettuces, cucumbers, pumpkins,
lentils, etc. Garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, and ginger are remnants of the first gardens.
Lusitanians in Tupiniquin lands.

The Portuguese were accustomed to drinking wine and found a substitute in beverages.
indigenous: corn boiled in water with honey.
In the early days, there was indeed plenty. But this abundance lasted little for two reasons: the
increase in population and the advent of monoculture of sugarcane. The cultivation of this product
stimulated the production of sweets and cachaça and this drink started causing havoc especially among
the Amerindian populations, harming the health of the ancient inhabitants of our land.
The production of food products has become too small, emphasizing the division of
society in a dominant and dominated class. It is during this time that there begins to be a deficiency of
vitamins, mainly vitamin A, in Brazil. The situation worsens even further when the
bandits discover the gold mines, causing an exodus of the coastal population to the region
the mines. Everyone wanted to prospect. No one planted. In the midst of so much gold, people died of
hunger. Those who had food to sell easily became rich.
It is perhaps the beginning of the history of hunger and exploitation in the country...
The habit of eating beef began with the arrival of herds to the continent.
American in the 16th century. Thus, sarapatel, panelada, buchada, among others, were not techniques
Africans, but
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European processes. Sarapatel or sarrabulho, food prepared with blood and entrails of
pork and lamb, the Portuguese learned in India. The stew and the tripe, prepared with entrails
grilled or griddle-cooked, they have Castilian origin and entered the country through influence from the
neighborhood and Spanish contact.
The indigenous people were not familiar with the consumption of beef, and Africans never had such a habit.
In times of scarcity, the African black man sold cattle to acquire food in the market.
Portuguese also brought traditional festivals – Easter, Saint John, Christmas – with their songs,
dances and typical foods. I brought the bread, made with almost all cereals: barley, rye, oats and
mainly
trigo. They also came with the Portuguese, brought from other colonies, especially the African ones,
novas frutas: uva, figo, maçã, marmelo, pêssego, romã, cidra, tâmaras, melão, melancia.
It was the Portuguese who planted the coconut tree, sowed the rice, brought the cucumber, mustard, and various
seasonings and herbs. The most gloriously national dish of the country, the complete feijoada, is a
model
culturized with Portuguese stew with beans and dried meat.
In addition to all these contributions to our cuisine, the Portuguese introduced habits that
definitely marked our palate: they valued the use of salt and revealed sugar to
Africans and Indians in Brazil. From there, our cuisine adopted egg sweets and more
various fruits. Guava paste, quince paste, cashew paste, and all the other "paste" that
constitute the arsenal
energetic of our desserts.
Popular instinctive impression recognizes the corrosive power of salt.
It took some time for people to start tolerating ham, chorizo, and the
sausages with salt and pepper.
The sertanejos already accused salt of being harmful to the kidneys.
Sugar, however, won everyone over immediately. Even cassava flour was eaten with
sugar and it was recommended to eat with your mouth closed because otherwise, more flour would go to the
the faces of the neighbors than for one's own stomach. With the sugar industry, the production emerged
of alcohol, or rather, of cachaça, conquering Indigenous people and Africans.
The natives and the Africans did not use vegetable oils and much less animal fats to
prepare the food. They did not know frying. Another Portuguese revelation.
There are records about the diet of the Portuguese during the colonial period, especially
from the Court coming to Brazil. They are references to adaptations to the new land, people, and customs.
Next, we will discuss some of them:
The popular song said that D. João VI did what he was told.
and ate what they gave him, but his favorite dishes were chickens, hens, capons, and the
rice with chorizo.
The main course of lunch for D. Pedro I (son of D. João VI) and his wife, the Princess
Maria da Glória, it was the bacon, usually served with rice, cabbage, potatoes, English or
sweet, cooked cucumbers, and a piece of roast meat. All of this was boiled in a kind of
soup, adding garlic, pepper, and vegetables. Then they would eat pasta, accompanied by
meats.
D. Pedro II's favorite dish, son of D. Pedro I, was chicken broth, although he ate quickly.
just to satisfy the hunger.
Campos Sales, president of Brazil from 1898 to 1902, had a passion for passion fruits, while
Rui Barbosa preferred gizzard and liver.

The contribution of Africans

Before the African slaves arrived in Brazil, they had already received a kind of 'course.
"local food prior". They had eaten American corn, cassava flour, yuca and
different
types of beans, besides drinking cachaça, instead of the wine from the dendê palm.
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The Portuguese distributed various species of food with surprising efficiency. From their
but more distant eastern and African colonies brought to Brazil seeds, roots, "seedlings" and
bulbs. The dissemination of cassava, corn, potato, and Brazilian peanuts had a
unmatched intensity, speed, and precision.
Coffee, sugar, cocoa, and tobacco also expanded, albeit more slowly.
The black people made flour, already known by the Brazilian Tupis. They always ate the corn cooked, in
a form of papa, angu or boiled with cow's milk, prepared similarly to the current mungunzá.
The banana was an African inheritance in the 16th century and became inseparable from Brazilian plantations.
searching the houses of the villages and the huts of the indigenous malocas, and decorating the landscape with the
slow shaking of its leaves. No fruit has had such a stunning and decisive popularity,
together with the peanut. The banana was the greatest African contribution to food for the
Brazil, in quantity, distribution, and consumption.
From Africa came also the mango, the jackfruit, rice, and sugarcane. In exchange, the Africans took
cassava, cashew, pineapples, papaya, avocado, potatoes, cajá, guava, and araçá. The coconut tree and the milk of
cocoa, seemingly so Brazilian, also came from the African continent, as did the olive oil
dende
The oil palm was cultivated around the city of Salvador, the largest demographic center of
era, where the African presence became prominent. The use of dendê was passed down by the
slaves and the black women who served in the homes of the whites. They imposed palm oil
how the Portuguese cook imposed the use of olive oil.
When Rio de Janeiro became the capital of Brazil (1763) and the population increased, demanding
largest number of slaves for domestic services and the cultivation of sugar, cotton, and coffee in
neighboring regions, palm oil accompanied the black, whether in fish frying, stews,
pickles or our sautéed dishes.
The extensive sugar plantations, the cycle of gold and diamonds, and the coffee boom led to
that a large part of the black population moved towards Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and São
Paul,
respectively. But in these regions, African cuisine has not managed to impose itself in the same way.
strength. Nowhere has African cuisine preserved the color and flavor that have remained in Bahia.
The intensification of the slave trade, from the second half of the 18th century to the first half of
next century, facilitated the movement of various species of food plants between Brazil and
Africa.
The black population that lived in Brazil planted numerous vegetables that soon became popular.
such as: okra, caruru, yam, fennel, ginger, saffron, sesame, African peanut
the watermelon, among others.
The black people brought to the country African pepper, whose name referenced the origin, Malagueta.
malagueta just increased the prestige of Brazilian peppers, which also dominated the
continent
African. As for the meats, the only African animal that continues to contribute to the menu.
Brazilian is the guinea fowl.
The slave's menu on a wealthy estate consisted of manioc flour and beans.
for the black man with more properties
humble, a
The food consisted of a little flour, oranges, and bananas. Cornmeal porridge was also made.
part of the diet of the slave in Minas Gerais, Goiás and Mato Grosso, in addition to occasional hunting and fishing.
In the farms of the North, some types of fish were consumed and a kind of 'filling' was made.
with lamb meat, like the current goat stew. Sometimes the slaves ate pirão, a dish
but
well accepted, probably because it is easier to swallow, as there was no time to eat.
The black man created a way to stretch the little food he received: he invented scalded pirão.
called massapê, made with cassava flour and boiling water, added with pepper
malagueta. The massapê is still used in our rural areas.
The sugar plantation slave fed on honey with flour. He drank sugarcane juice, cachaça,
honey with water, juices, and coffee.
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Examples of Brazilian dishes of African origin

We will cite some Brazilian dishes of African origin with the respective.
(there are regional variations):
Abará or abalá: cake made from cooked black-eyed peas with salt, pepper,
palm oil and dried shrimp. It is wrapped in banana leaves
steamed.
Aberém: cooked corn dough in a water bath, without seasoning. Served with vatapá,
caruru.
Acarajé: black-eyed pea dough, with spices. It forms a kind of fritter and is
fried in palm oil. Served with shrimp, pepper, etc.
Bobó: dough that can be made from mulatinho beans, yam, cassava
etc. It is cooked and seasoned with palm oil, shrimp, and spices. It can be eaten alone or with
meat or fish.
Cuscuz: ground corn dough, cooked and moistened with milk
from coconut (or the original African one was made with rice and other
spices instead of coconut milk).
Cuxá: it is said in Maranhão about rice cooked, seasoned with leaves
from vinegar plant, okra, toasted sesame, and cassava flour.
Mungunzá: corn cooked with cow's milk or coconut milk.
Quibebe: pumpkin soup with cow's milk or coconut. There are variations.
with dried meat, bacon, okra, maxixe, etc.
Vatapá: a type of thick stew made from stale bread, flour of
rice and shrimp, served with fish, cod or chicken, added
of pepper, palm oil, coconut milk, and seasonings.
In the city of Salvador, there was a more homogeneous black concentration, which allowed for defense.
the old African foods, unlike those from other regions. It was around the beliefs, in
special
of Candomblé, where African cuisine has maintained the primary elements of its survival.

The current influences

In the last three decades, significant changes have occurred in eating habits of
Brazilians: reduction in the consumption of rice, beans, and wheat flour; increased consumption of meats.
general, eggs
dairy and sugar; replacement of animal fat with vegetable oils, butter with margarine and
increase in spending on processed foods.
The hectic pace imposed by the job market leaves less and less free time for
food and leisure. Breaks need to be well utilized and meal times,
special or of
lunch ends up serving for various activities. Alternatives begin to emerge in the industries of
food and food services: frozen and pre-cooked foods, drive-thru, fast food,
Delivery and self-service reflect the importation of the new style of the Brazilian food standard.
Health and education professionals should question and assess whether there are important losses of
our cultural eating habits due to the 'globalization' of the way we eat, or if
there are aspects of technological evolution in the food sector that deserve to be incorporated into
our culture.
The guidance and education on food, through modern means of communication, combined with
preservation of good eating habits and salaries compatible with the right to food, are
Fundamental to winning the fight against malnutrition in Brazil.