Food
Feijoada
According to Claudia Costabile (personal communication, October 27, 2012), Brazil has some of the best food in the world, with the exception of maybe French. The core of a Brazilian diet is rice, beans and manioc, a root crop that is usually eaten in a flour form. These staples are often paired with a protein and a salad, and are eaten all over the country. Brazilians eat their big meal of the day at midday. This is often a multicourse meal with rice, beans and manioc, meat or fish and dessert and coffee (Margolis, Bezerra and Fox, 2012).
However, Brazil has many regional specialties and styles (St. Louis, 2012). In the northeast city of Bahia, the African heritage comes through in such dishes as "moqueca" which is a seafood stew made with coconut milk, palm oil and spicy malaqueta peppers. The southeast city of Rio de Janeiro is home to "feijoada," a pork and black bean stew, which is said to have had its beginnings in slave culture, but more likely came to Brazil from Portugal. In Sao Paulo, the largest and most diverse city in Brazil, the cuisine is also quite varied with excellent Italian and Japanese offerings. In the south, home to many German and Italian immigrants, there is a large Octoberfest, second only to Munich, and excellent wine production. Also in the pampas or grasslands of the south, churrascarias, restaurants serving all-you-can-eat barbecue, are immensely popular. Their popularity is spreading to other countries, as evidenced by restaurants such as Fogo de Chao in downtown Baltlimore. Due to Brazil's immense coastline, as well as the Amazon River, seafood is a staple of Brazilian diets as well (St. Louis, 2012).
Mealtime is often a time for friends and family to come together. One Brazilian custom, described by Costabile as well as Rosana McPhee (2011), is the "Feira" or street market which is similar to American farmers markets and occurs in the streets of most neighborhoods at least once a week, featuring fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. The many celebratory festivals in Brazil which often have their roots in religious holidays and observances are often complemented by traditional foods. Brazilian cuisine certainly reflects the diversity and festive nature of its population, along with its rich history.
However, Brazil has many regional specialties and styles (St. Louis, 2012). In the northeast city of Bahia, the African heritage comes through in such dishes as "moqueca" which is a seafood stew made with coconut milk, palm oil and spicy malaqueta peppers. The southeast city of Rio de Janeiro is home to "feijoada," a pork and black bean stew, which is said to have had its beginnings in slave culture, but more likely came to Brazil from Portugal. In Sao Paulo, the largest and most diverse city in Brazil, the cuisine is also quite varied with excellent Italian and Japanese offerings. In the south, home to many German and Italian immigrants, there is a large Octoberfest, second only to Munich, and excellent wine production. Also in the pampas or grasslands of the south, churrascarias, restaurants serving all-you-can-eat barbecue, are immensely popular. Their popularity is spreading to other countries, as evidenced by restaurants such as Fogo de Chao in downtown Baltlimore. Due to Brazil's immense coastline, as well as the Amazon River, seafood is a staple of Brazilian diets as well (St. Louis, 2012).
Mealtime is often a time for friends and family to come together. One Brazilian custom, described by Costabile as well as Rosana McPhee (2011), is the "Feira" or street market which is similar to American farmers markets and occurs in the streets of most neighborhoods at least once a week, featuring fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. The many celebratory festivals in Brazil which often have their roots in religious holidays and observances are often complemented by traditional foods. Brazilian cuisine certainly reflects the diversity and festive nature of its population, along with its rich history.
Dress
Brazilian Gauchos
Because of its multicultural population, there are some varieties of dress in different parts of the country. In the northeast, dress often has an African flavor (Jirage, 2012). Western style dress prevails in the urban areas like Sao Paulo. In the south, where there are cattle ranches, the cowboys and their style of attire are known as gauchos. Naturally, in the beach areas such as Rio de Janeiro, beach wear and bathing suits are popular. Claudia Costabile (personal communication, October 27, 2012) noted that the bathing suits in Brazil are "very small." Naturally, at the time of the pre-Lenten Carnival, festive and colorful costumes add a dimension of celebration and merriment to the event (Jirage, 2012).