Gula brings to UAE Brazilian Street food

 

In Brazil, Sundays are family days. It’s also the day when lunch hopping is looked upon as an acceptable courteous norm, and hence irrespective of the time you walk into a home for a luncheon abundant warm hugs and delicacies await. Both late comers and unexpected arrivals are welcomed with pleasure on such afternoons. “It’s a day reserved for family and food,” says Fernanda Troy, “Families get together and prepare food from scratch.” Of course, coffee flows as the dishes get prepared. It’s such Sundays that Fernanda misses the most about her home country, Brazil. Fernanda hails from São Paulo, Southeast Brazil and whilst she grew up eating contemporary Brazilian dishes she holds the traditional delicacies close to her heart. No wonder she has sprinkled her love for Brazil on to her work, she prepares and sells traditional Brazilian treats under the name Gula Delight’s (guladelights. com). As she prepared a fresh batch of savoury and sweet delicacies, I quizzed her on the Brazilian ways of cooking, eating and serving. Sunday meals Tradition has it that Sundays were reserved for large portion of Feijoada, thick black bean stew served with rice, prepared with beef, and a variety of other meats. “It’s known as our national dish but it was brought to Brazil from the Portuguese and adapted by the African slaves.” History suggests that the slaves prepared it with the discarded parts of the animal which they smuggled in from the houses of their masters. “These slaves worked under the harsh sun and the ingredients, especially the beans provided them energy for the long hours.” These days, whist Feijoada is cooked using sausages, rice, vegetables and of course black beans, other dishes have been added to the Sunday lunch menu, “Lasagne, Churrasco and Macarronada Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce are the favourites.” Churrasco, the essential Brazilian barbecue, usually happens on Sunday, late afternoon. “Meals are eaten aftert two. The meat is marinated with plain rock salt and includes cuts like top sirloin cap and bottom sirloin, which are served with grilled chicken hearts, homemade salsa, and lots of caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime).” Melting point of cultures, influences The Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500 and brought their tastes and styles of cooking with them. “Other than that, the cuisine is a combination of Italian, Arab, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese influences.” Pastel, a favourite Brazilian snack was brought there by the Japanese who’d adapted the dish from Chinese wontons. “These are thin pastry envelopes filled with meat, cheese, chicken or shrimps. They resemble the Indian Samosa or Arab Sambousa.” Sugarcane juice, a much enjoyed beverage, again owes its popularity to the Africans. “Brazilian cuisine has struggled for as long as 150 years for an identity, and meals continue to vary with the region. The influences from Amazon hint at the process of preserving meat by smoking and drying it, including that of turtles and crocodiles too. It’s only in the last 50 years that the Brazilians have begun to take extreme pride in their food and both cook and talk about it passionately.” Banana cake is a typical Brazilian dish. “Shrimps are another favourite.” Risotto is a popular dish too, “Its Brazilian connect lying strictly in its preparation method.” Yet, there is enough to go back for! “The bounty of fresh juices in Brazil is incomparable, especially in the Northern region.” On her trips home, Fernanda packs up Pão de Queijo, cheese buns made of corn flour or cassava, often enjoyed as a breakfast item. “They’re chewy and moist inside with a crumbly crust around.” And even though she prepares and sells Brigadeiro (Recipe shared in the feature) , she does steal in the Brazilian chocolate bonbons too! “These can be prepared with more than 100 flavours. “In Brazil, sweets have to be very, very sweet but here it is made with less sugar! We owe our sweet tooth to the Europeans.” Classic Brazilian fare So what does a typical Brazilian meal look like? A modest meal of toasted French bread, butter, jam, milk and coffee for breakfast. Lunch comprises meat, rice, salad and beans. Feijão beans similar to pinto beans are a huge favourite. “No one eats a plain cold sandwich for lunch. Lunches are time reserved for socialising and eating hot meals.” Dinner is generally lighter than lunch, and sometimes just consists of snack foods like biscuits, cheese and ham. “A fried egg is a must item in the meals, in fact in Brazil if a girl/woman doesn’t know how to fry an egg it is considered extremely shameful. The joke being that without this cooking skill a woman can’t find a husband.” As for Fernanda, she laughs for she did learn to fry an egg, quite early! Fernanda was 15 when she started assisting her mum’s friend at a venue for birthday parties. Her job was to look after the kids but soon enough she started looking after administrative work when the bosses were away but most importantly she began to volunteer in the kitchen too. “It was my first time at learning, enjoying and experience the whole process of cooking.” At 17, whilst she graduated as a nurse, she took jobs in the restaurant and also the aviation industry. “It was only two years ago that I started taking a keen interest in planning parties and soon enough began to prepare Brazilian sweets and savouries for friends who were hosting parties.” Fernanda loves preparing sweets because it gives her a chance to garnish them! “I love making small sweet eats like Brigadeiro and Quindim (a baked coconut dessert) and savoury eats like Coxinha (Recipe facing page) and Risole (deep fried croquettes).” If there’s one thing that she’d like to bring from the Brazilian cuisine to her UAE home it would be the slow pace of consuming meals. “Things slow down during meal times and get extended to coffee time.” Yes, small but potent cups of coffee appear post-meals to pep up conversations and to indulge in the pleasure of the company of loved ones. Now isn’t that a beautiful way of cooking, eating and sharing meals. Lindo maravilhoso, as they say in Brazilian.

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