|
THE
CUISINE OF SOUTH AMERICA
|
South
America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere between the
Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Most of it is in the Southern Hemisphere.
Commonly
referred to as part of the Americas, like North America, South
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European
to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a
previously undiscovered New World.
South America
has an area of 17,820,000 km² (6,880,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5%
of the Earth's surface. As of 2005, its population was estimated at
more than 371,200,000. South America ranks fourth in area (after
Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia,
Africa, Europe, and North America).
The South
American continent also includes various islands, most of which
belong to countries on the continent. The Caribbean territories are
grouped with North America. The South American nations that border
the Caribbean Sea - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname,
and French Guiana - are also known as Caribbean South America.
Major natural
resources are copper, iron ore, tin, and oil. The many resources of
South America have become useful around the world. However, they
often have hindered the development of diversified economies. This
has lead to major highs and lows in the economy of South American
states, often also causing political instability.
South America
is home to many interesting species of animals including parrots,
tarantulas, snakes, and mammals.
The largest
country in South America by far, in both area and population, is
Brazil, followed by Argentina. Regions in South America include the
Andean States, the Guianas, the Southern Cone, and Eastern South America
The Cuisines
Argentine
cuisine evolved distinctly from the rest of Latin American cuisine
because of the heavy influence of Italian, Spanish, French and other
European cuisines.
Another
determining factor in Argentine cuisine is that Argentina is one of
the world's major food producers. It is a major producer of meat
(especially beef), wheat, corn, milk beans, and since the 1970s,
soybeans. Given the country's vast production of beef, red meat is an
especially common part of the Argentine diet (in many periods of
Argentine history the annual consumption of beef has been above 100
kg per capita and during the 19th century, neared 180 kg per capita.)
Similarly, the enormous quantities of domestically-harvested wheat
have made white bread (made with wheat flour) the most commonly found
on the table. This explains, to a great deal, the popularity of wheat-based
Italian dishes, as well as the fact that Argentine pizza uses more
dough than Italian pizza.
While certain
foods can be found in all corners of the country (barbecued meat;
dulce de leche; empanadas; yerba mate in addition to all sorts of
Italian, Spanish, and French dishes) one can map out four broad
culinary regions based on major trends.
The population
of Brazil is a racial mix of native Amerindians, Portuguese,
Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Syrians, Lebanese and Asians,
among others. This has created a national cooking style marked by the
preservation of regional differences.
North
Acre,
Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins
Collectively,
the region is known as Amazônia for it includes a large part of
the rain forest, and tributaries flowing into the Amazon River.
Culturally, the Amazon basin is heavily populated by native Indians
or people of mixed Indian and Portuguese ancestry who live on a diet
of fish, root vegetables such as manioc, yams, and peanuts, plus palm
or tropical fruit.
The cuisine of
this region is heavily influenced by indigenous cuisine. Popular
dishes include Picadinho de Jacaré (a meal made from alligator
meat), Tacacá and Açaí
Northeast
Alagoas,
Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco,
Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe
Geographically
the region comprises a narrow, fertile coastal plain with abundant
rainfall where much of the population is found, an equally narrow
transition zone called the Agreste, and a large semi-arid region
called the Sertão, which is dominated by large cattle ranches.
All kinds of tropical produce are grown on the coastal plain, with
sugarcane and cacao being particularly abundant.
Within the
state of Bahia the predominant cuisine is Afro-Bahian, which evolved
from plantation cooks improvising on African, Indian, and traditional
Portuguese dishes using locally available ingredients.
Typical dishes
include vatapá, moqueca (both having seafood and palm oil),
and acarajé (a salted muffin made with white beans, onion and
fried in palm oil (dendê) which is filled with dried shrimp,
red pepper and caruru (mashed okra with ground cashew nut, smoked
shrimp, onion, pepper and garlic). The main staple is a plate of
white rice and black beans but other common foods include farofa,
paçoca, canjica, pamonha and quibebe.
In the
remainder of the coastal plains there is less African influence on
the food, but seafood, shellfish, and tropical fruit are menu
staples. Commonly eaten tropical fruits in the Northeastern region
include mango, papaya, guava, orange, passionfruit, pineapple,
sweetsop, hog-plum, and cashew (both the fruit and the nut).
Inland, in the
arid, drought stricken cattle-growing and farm lands, foods typically
include ingredients like dried meat, rice, beans, goat, manioc and
corn meal.
Central-West
Federal
District of Brasilia plus Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso
do Sul
A region
comprising dry open savannas or prairies with wooded terrain in the
north. The famous Pantanal, one of the finest hunting and fishing
regions on Earth, is also located in the Central-Western region of Brazil.
Fish, beef and
pork from the vast ranches of the region dominate the menu, along
with harvested crops of soybean, rice, maize, and manioc.
Southeast
Espírito
Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo
The
Southeastern region is the industrial heart of Brazil, and is home to
several distinctive cooking styles for which Brazil is probably best-known.
In Minas
Gerais the regional dishes include maize, pork, beans, and local soft
ripened cheeses. In Rio and São Paulo, feijoada (a simmered
bean and meat dish of Carioca origin), is popular especially as a
Wednesday or Saturday luncheon. Also consumed frequently is arroz e
feijão, or rice and beans. Traditionally, black beans are
prepared in Rio, rajadinho or carioquinha (brown) beans in São
Paulo, and either in Minas Gerais. Another typical food in São
Paulo is the Virado à Paulista, that consists of rice, tutu de
feijão (a paste of beans and manioc flour), sautéed
collard greens (couve) and pork chops, typically bisteca, the pork
equivalent of the T-bone steak. It is usually accompanied by pork
rinds, bits of sausage and a fried egg.
The cuisine of
São Paulo shows the influence of European and Middle Eastern
immigrants. The majority arrived from Portugal, along with many from
Italy, Japan, the Middle East, and other nations. Hence, there it is
possible to find a wide array of cuisines. In São Paulo city,
pizza is a popular dish, and sushi has entered the mainstream and can
be found in regular, non-Japanese restaurants.
In
Espírito Santo, there is significant Italian and German
influence in local dishes both savory and sweet. The state dish,
though, is of Amerindian origin, and is called Moqueca Capixaba
(mainly fish and tomato). The cuisine of Minas Gerais is also
strongly influent there, with many restaurants serving that fare.
Farofa (a dish of toasted manioc flour with small amounts of
flavoring ingredients that may include pork, onions, hardboiled eggs
and different vegetables), polenta, couve (collard greens),
chouriço (a type of sausage that is less spicy than its cousin
chorizo), tutu à mineira (a paste of beans and manioc flour)
and fried banana are examples of popular dishes from Minas Gerais.
South
Paraná,
Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul
The gaucho
(cowboy of the pampa) contributed to the national cuisine with dishes
made with sun- or salt-dried meats and churrasco (a Brazilian
counterpart of the barbecue), a meal of flame grilled fresh meats.
The European
immigrants (primarily from Italy and Germany) were accustomed to a
wheat-based diet, and introduced wine, leaf vegetables, and dairy
products into Brazilian cuisine. When potatoes were not available
they discovered how to use the native sweet manioc as a replacement.
Staple Ingredients
Beans
(feijão) Beans appear on the table daily in many forms and
colors. According to Embrapa institute of agriculture, brown beans
(carioquinha), which were created in the late 60's by artificial
selection of Japanese variations, is by far the more consumed (about
90%) followed by traditional feijoada black beans (preferred in Rio
de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul). Other regional varieties include
fradinho beans (used in traditional bahian recipe Acarajé),
white beans (consumed in Santa Catarina) and even some variations of
chili beans (consumed in Pará). They're part of the most
common dish in the country, rice and beans.
Coconut (coco)
An important ingredient throughout the country, coconut is used in
soups, cocktails, poultry, fish, and shellfish recipes, as well as
desserts and sweets. Various forms are utilized: unripe green
coconuts (coco verde); ripe yellow or brown coconuts (coco amarelo);
the soft, almost buttery textured meat from green coconuts (coco de
água); or grated (coco ralado). The liquid inside (água
de coco) can be drunk. It has a very mild, salty-sweet flavor.
Coconut milk (leite de coco) made from the inner pulp of the ripe
fruit is used in sweet and savory dishes.
Palm Oil
(azeite de dendê) A heavy tropical oil extracted from the
African oil palm growing in Northern Brazil. One of the basic
ingredients in Bahian or Afro-Brazilian cuisine, it adds a wonderful
flavor and bright orange color to foods. There is no equivalent
substitute, but it is available in markets specializing in Brazilian imports.
Dried, salted
codfish (bacalhau) Introduced by the Portuguese, it finds its way
into appetizers, soups, main courses, and savory puddings. One common
method of refreshing the dried fish is to soak large pieces with the
skin and bone removed in cold water for three to four hours, changing
the water every hour.
Dried shrimp
(camarão seco) In various sizes, dried shrimp are utilized in
many dishes from the northern regions of the country. Usually
obtainable in North America at oriental or Latin American food
stores. Before use they are covered with cold water and soaked
overnight (though unlike the codfish, the shrimp does not require
hourly water-changes). The water is discarded before the shrimp are used.
Lime
(limão) In Brazil the fruit is green, small and quite tart,
more like an American lime would appear and taste.
Rice
(Brazilian style - arroz brasileiro or arroz simples) Long grained
rice is briefly sauteed in garlic and oil before being boiled. In
addition to garlic, some Brazilian cooks add small amounts of onion,
diced tomato, or sliced black olive for additional flavor. Properly
done, each grain is fluffy and the rice will not stick together. Rice
is part of the most common dish in the country, rice and beans.
" Making
Brazilian-style rice: Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and saute a
clove of garlic. When browned add salt. Add the rice and saute 2 to 3
minutes -- until it looks translucent. Do not allow the grains to
brown. Add hot water (about 2 to 2-1/2 cups per cup of rice). Cook,
partially covered, over medium-high heat until most of the water is
absorbed. Uncover, lower the heat and continue cooking until fluffy.
Toasted Manioc
Meal (farofa) Manioc flour lightly sauteed in butter until it
resembles buttered bread crumbs. Other ingredients are frequently
added. It's eaten as a side dish to the feijoada.
Feijoada - the
national dish of Brazil For over 300 years feijoada, a mixture of
black beans, pork and farofa (manioc meal) has been the national dish
of Brazil. It started as a dish for the slaves brought from Africa,
made out of cheap ingredients: pork ears, feet and tail, beans and
manioc flour. It has been adopted by all the other cultural regions,
and there are hundreds of ways to make it.
Other special dishes
" Rice
and beans is an extremely popular dish, considered basic at table.
"
Salgadinhos are small savory snacks, mostly sold in corner shops.
There are many types of filled and fried pastries. Pão de
Queijo ("cheese bread"), a typical Brazilian snack, is a
small, soft roll made of manioc flour and cheese. Coxinha is a
chicken croquette shaped like a chicken thigh. Kibe (or quibe) and
esfiha are the salgadinho versions of the Syrian dishes kibbeh and
sfiha. Despite being a recently addition to Brazilian cuisine they
are nowadays easily found everywhere, specially in southern and
southeastern regions. Pasteis are small halfmoon-shaped pastries with
a wide variety of fillings.
" Cuscuz
branco is milled tapioca cooked with coconut milk and sugar. The
technique is identical to how couscous is cooked in hot water, but
this is a dessert.
"
Açaí, Cupuaçu, and many other tropical fruits
are shipped from the Amazon all over the country and consumed in smoothies.
" Hot
dogs in Brazil are always offered with a dazzling array of condiments
including various dressings, boiled quail eggs, peas, corn, olives
and crunchy potato straw.
"
Cachaça is the Brazil's native liquor, distilled from sugar
cane, and it is the main ingredient in the national drink, the Caipirinha.
"
Cheeses: the dairy-producing state of Minas Gerais is known for such
cheeses as queijo Minas, a soft, mild-flavored fresh white cheese
usually sold packaged in water; requeijão, a mildly salty,
silky-textured, fluid cheese sold in glass jars and eaten as a spread
on bread, and Catupiry, a soft processed cheese sold in a distinctive
round wooden box.
" Special
ethnic foods and restaurants that are frequently found in Brazil
include Lebanese, Syrian, and Japanese cuisine (Sushi).
" Pizza
is also quite popular. It is usually made in a wood-fire oven with a
thin, flexible crust, very little sauce, and a number of interesting
toppings in addition to the traditional pizza toppings - like guava
jam and cheese, banana and cinnamon, catupiry and chicken, and
chocolate. There are those who prefer having pizza with ketchup,
something which usually makes connoisseurs flinch.
"
Pinhão are the pine nuts of Araucaria angustifolia, a typical
tree of the highlands of south Brazil. The nuts are boiled and eaten
as snack in the winter months.
Peruvian
cuisine is usually considered one of the most diverse in the world
and is on par with French, Chinese and Indian cuisine. In January
2006, The Economist said that "Peru can lay claim to one of the
world's dozen or so great cuisines" [1], while at the Fourth
International Summit of Gastronomy Madrid Fusión 2006,
regarded as the world's most important gastronomic forum, held in
Spain between January 17th and 19th, Lima was declared the
"Gastronomic Capital of Latin America" [2].
Thanks to its
pre-Inca and Inca heritage and to Spanish, Basque, African, Sino-Cantonese,
Japanese and finally Italian immigration (mainly throughout the 19th
century), Peruvian cuisine combines the flavors of four continents.
With the eclectic variety of traditional dishes, the Peruvian
culinary arts are in constant evolution, and impossible to list in
their entirety. Suffice it to mention that along the Peruvian coast
alone there are more than two thousand different types of soups, and
that there are more than 250 traditional desserts.
There are many
restaurants specializing in Peruvian cuisine in many different cities
throughout the world.
The great
variety in Peruvian cuisine stems from three major influences:
" Peru's
unique geography, 28 of the 32 possible world climates
" Peru's
openness and blending of distinct races and cultures
" The
incorporation of ancient cuisine into modern Peruvian cuisine
|
