Tião Rocha Flavors from 80 Texts from . Nº 13 Brazilian dried meat production – J.B. Debret (1829). Source: Castro Maya Museums – IPHAN/MinC – MEA 0113

o trail the routes and paths crossed by the Mineiros, and arrive at their current customs and habits, we must begin at the crossways and sidetracks of Minas Gerais. This takes us, invariably, to the end of the 17th T th Century and beginning of the 18 Century. The Portuguese Crown had never lost hope in finding precious metals in their lands in America. Such hope was motivated by seductive legends of the city of Manôa, the Emerald Mountains and Sabarabuçu. The discovery of gold in the Colony’s interior, even if its small details was due to chance, in its accomplishment it was, above all, due to historic persistency.

Flavors from Brazil 81 This discovery cannot be pinpointed to a white animal that is found in bamboos and rot- person in particular. It was a result of continuous ten wood”. They also ate bee honey, pork, palm efforts and dreams of successive generations. The of hearts, fern sprouts, wild yams … and other effort began in 1532 with the arrival of the first varieties which necessity invented. There was Portuguese settlers along with Martim Afonso de also fish: the small ones cooked in bamboo, and Souza. One of the first measures he took was to the big ones, roasted. send an expedition, with 40 men, from São Vice- Once the cry of gold was out, a migratory nte in São Paulo to the interior in search of gold wave flooded the region with very few parallels and silver mines … They never came back. in the history of mankind. Human tides sought The news of the discovery of gold spread the region of the mines, coming from every di- out quickly through the world. The big rush be- rection. The news of the discovery of gold ech- gan. Adventurers of all types arrived, men and oed in all the corners and provinces of Brazil, women, young and old, whites, mulattos and and everywhere the demographic system suf- blacks, noblemen and commoners, laymen, cler- fered profound changes due to the rush to the gymen and religious of different orders, deter- mines. Thus, the rapid and gigantic settlement of mined by the desire of enriching rapidly, without the region of Minas Gerais was carried out. being careful with the roughness of the trails and However, in a very short period, the rush without worrying themselves with the hardship towards the mines transformed itself into a pub- of the work and the dangers they had to face. lic disaster. There were so many ambitious peo- They left everything in their homelands. They ple who ran in search of gold that the Kingdom sold their possessions (if they owned any), left was threatened by depopulation. The coastal cit- wife and children, broke-off engagements. ies of Brazil also endured the same threat… The The departure to the mines was a drama, mines which had been received as a blessing from but the journey was another one, very arduous heaven, after two centuries of anxious searches, and maybe even a fatal one. Each adventurer, started to be viewed as the cause of disaster and with few provisions in their bags, took off con- sources of misdeeds. fidently hallucinated by the visions of gold. Fre- Soon the interdictions and restrictions of quently, the worst of sufferings awaited them: settlers leaving to the mines emerged in 1709 hunger. And the scarcity of food was such, that and 1711. Besides the restrictions to enter the re- a great famine occurred in 1698, and another gion, other ones were established, forbidding the in 1700 and still a third one in 1713. Fields and clearance of new paths and trails to Minas Ge- mountains had been deprived of game and wild rais. Nothing, however, hindered the rapid and provisions by people who had consumed every- disorganized growth of the population of Minas thing. Many left to hunt in the forest or returned Gerais, if we consider the distance and difficul- to their homeland. Many fell by the wayside. ties. With whatever they came across, any The more complicated and costly the proc- type of game, tapirs, deer, capybaras, monkeys, esses to extract gold were, the more the min- coatis, jaguars, marsh deer and birds, and many times, snakes, lizards, ants and even “a very  Anonymous letter from 1717, quoted by Afonso de E.Tau- nay.

82 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 ers settled themselves, establishing permanent camps with solid constructions, made to endure From the hunger crisis of time. The camps of Minas Gerais grew so quickly the 18th Century, the need that, in a few years, many ascended to the post of villages. The historical cities of Minas Gerais, to use well the available guardians of the colonial buildings, would be- food emerged. And from the come the permanent imprint of the period. From early on, an active trade flow -be need to make better use of tween the coastal cities and Minas Gerais was it, the plentiful, simple established. The paths became trails that were frequently walked on and beaten by merchants, and sophisticated cuisine tropeiros, caravans and cattlemen who came and of Minas Gerais evolved. went through these paths, differing themselves for this reason from those who, taken by the gold And from the need to make better use of it, the fever, thought only of going and not of return- plentiful, simple and sophisticated cuisine of Mi- ing. nas Gerais evolved. Nevertheless, the coastal cities were not To face the shortage of beef, the Mineiros prepared to supply the mining cities of Minas accustomed themselves to raising pigs, wherever Gerais. A fever of speculation took all that was to there was any space left, even in their backyards supply their own cities into the mines. The con- (a custom which still endures). The consumption sequence was a price hike and a general shortage of pork meat became a habit among the residents of food and provisions. The situation became so of the mines and, today, pork loin is maybe the dramatic for Vila de São Paulo that the munici- most typical dish of Minas Gerais, present in the pal chamber, in a session which took place on region’s customs, the Mineiros’ favorite. January 19, 1705, deliberated on the prohibition The miners and other residents of the Mi- of selling any article of subsistence outside their nas Gerais region never had abundance of food. land, “including manioc flour, wheat, beans, The food of explorers from São Paulo did not corn, bacon and cattle”. have much variety. The basic food for the majori- Life in the mines, in the first years follow- ty of the population was beans, corn and manioc. ing the discovery of gold, would have been prac- The manioc plantations were insufficient and the tically impossible without the various supplies canjica was unsalted, for there was not enough from the cities and villages of São Paulo, Rio de salt for everybody. Janeiro and : cattle, bacon, cachaça, sugar, Manioc was the main food and daily pro- flour, beans, corn, cloth, shoes, medication, cot- vision for these people, followed by corn. The ton, hoes and imported goods like salt, olive oil, anonymous chronicler of 1717, quoted by Afonso vinegar, wheat, iron, gunpowder, glass, wine, de Taunay, listed some of the many foods made guns, fabrics and slaves, thousands and thou- with corn: “popcorn, corn meal, pamonhas, flour, sands of African slaves. couscous, biscuits, cakes, alcamonias and catim- From the hunger crisis of the 18th Century, puera, aluá or beer from green corn, fermented the need to use well the available food emerged. spirits and corn meal. The polenta, cooked in

Flavors from Brazil 83 great quantities, in large pans of hot water that cause for the Emboabas War (1709), the conflict “the rich eat for pleasure and the poor for neces- for the ownership of the gold mines, in which the sity”. Paulistas did not want to share them with outsid- ers. However, although the reasons for this war The style of cooking of Minas Gerais is were the jealousy of the Paulistas against the Por- unveiled, mainly, in the corn complex. From tuguese and the Bahian, and the rivalries about green corn, cooked, roasted or made into mush the ownership of the mines, another reason over- or into flour (polenta, mush, cake, cobu, etc), powered them in importance: the monopoly of corn is present in all meals, overpowering the certain goods indispensable for the life in Minas native manioc. The Mineiro never used bread of Gerais, like contracts for meat in butcher shops, “farinha de pau” (manioc flour), the common speculation and smuggling of primary goods, bread during the first centuries of colonization, carried out by the sons of the metropolis, allied as the basic food. They always preferred polenta, with the Bahians. solid corn cakes and cobu rolled in a banana leaf. We can, therefore, consider that in the or- To mix with beans, he always used corn meal igin of the customs of Minas Gerais, which in- (corn soaked, grounded in the mortar and then cludes its cuisine, we have, among others, the roasted), polenta and maize flour (toasted). The Emboabas War, studied in school books as the poor always used “canjiquinha” (a sub-product first manifestation of “nativistic spirit” of the from hulling corn, much used to replace rice). Brazilian people. At night, a widely appreciated supper is milk Another historic fact that includes the with flour (meal or finely ground), while cof- shortage of food supply in the province written fee with corn flour and cheese is a strong sup- between its lines, was the uprising of 1720, in per. The delicious corn meal, popcorn and, as Vila Rica, known as the Rebellion of Felipe dos a refreshment, aluá, corn flour with water and Santos, against the installation of smelteries in rapadura, which fermented obtains alcoholic the gold region. Along with this intention, also properties, was consumed by the Africans dur- present in the popular revolt, was the desire to ing the caxambus, in between dances. The vari- abolish contracts on fermented alcoholic bever- ous uses of corn demonstrate the heterogeneous ages, tobacco and cigars. character of cuisine from Minas Gerais. The seriousness of the supply scarcity of Food shortage during the mining phase Minas Gerais forms the substratum of the main was very serious, not only for slaves (badly political events of the region in the first quarter dressed and fed), but also for the free men, in the of the 18th Century. Consequently, it reflects on mines and, especially, for those who lived in the the sociocultural formation of our people, dem- cities. onstrated in the knowledge and habits of our There were several consequences of the population from whom emerged copper pans, rapid and disorganized growth in the mining re- large melted iron pots and aged stone casseroles gion. Some historians noted that it was the main

 “Memória Histórica da Capitania das Minas Gerais”(Historic  João Camilo de Oliveira Torres, “História de Minas Gerais” memories of the Capitania of Minas Gerais), Revista do Ar- (History of Minas Gerais), vol. I, B.Hte, p. 161. quivo Público Mineiro, vol. II, p. 425.

84 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 Frying torresmos. João Rural

fuming with the smells, colors and varied flavors tions of tastes, within the few and limited prod- of our cuisine. ucts available. The answers and solutions to basic food John Mawe, the first foreign traveler who needs given by the Mineiros developed personal was able to enter the mining territory, authorized and family uses that, slowly, in double boiler, by the Regent Prince in 1809, stated: “As long as were transformed into local habits which, sim- there are corn and water, the Mineiros will not mered, were generalized into regional customs starve”. until they started to pop like torresmos in hot fat Saint-Hilaire observed the Mineiros’ taste forming our cultural traditions. for sweets and marmalades, and their inclina- Thus, following these procedures, the Mi- tion to make them. However, he criticized the neiro surpassed the hunger crisis to consolidate a abusive use of sugar that disguises the flavor rich, varied and traditional cuisine, based on the of the fruits. This censure is still made today by best use of the elementary ingredients – beans, corn, manioc, meat – found or available in the  “Viagem ao interior do Brasil, particularmente aos distritos region. The lack of variety in resources during do ouro e do diamante, em 1809/1810”(Travels in the interior the colonial period was the condition for the de- of Brazil, particularly in the gold and diamond districts of that country, in 1809/1810). velopment of a creative and innovative cuisine,  “Viagem pelas Províncias do e Minas Gerais” marked by the search for flavors and combina- (Travels in the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais).

Flavors from Brazil 85 Cargo troop. João Rural

foreigners who taste our sweets. Some French these products. The women of Ouro Preto were travelers were surprised to see that we ate cheese famous for being excellent producers of sweets with our sweets, a culinary heresy in the opinion and delicacies. of the masters in this subject. They do not know The African and mulatto women who what they are missing: guava sweet with Minas’ cooked could not, no matter how hard they cheese, yummy! worked, produce enough to satisfy the gluttony Meanwhile, families who prepared sweets of the mine workers. True multitudes of African would send (and still do) trays with coconut and mulatto women, slave or freed, paraded sweets, cheese rolls, brevidades and pés-de- with their trays through the hills and riverbanks, moleque on the streets. Other families would provoking the Africans to spend, on delicacies, earn a little money with spicy bean cake, and oth- the gold that did not belong to them. ers would prepare almonds in copper pans for One of the first governors of the region was the Holy Week cornets. already on top of the problem: Quitanda, let us not forget, is the home ... It is forbidden: for women to pastry shop, with cookies, cornbread, twisted take trays with pastries, cakes, sweets, honey, bread, biscuits and cakes displayed on a tray. spirits and other beverages to the gold mines Quitandeira is the woman who produces or sells because some people send them to the mines

86 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 and places where gold is extracted in order to obtain gold making it possible for the gold to be “The hunger of the poor is deviated from their owners and reach the hands avenged by the indigestion of those who do not pay the tax of one fifth to His Majesty... of the rich”, goes the

“The richest gold pans that are found in popular saying. the mines” continued to belong to the “black The Mineiros have always women of the trays”, resulting in a new prohi- bition, this time dated September 11, 1729. And, been gluttons, friendly once again, ineffective. to sweets and pastries, “The hunger of the poor is avenged by the indigestion of the rich”, goes the popular say- as are the majority of ing. Brazilians, known The Mineiros have always been gluttons, friendly to sweets and pastries, as are the ma- for their “apicultural jority of Brazilians, known for their “apicultural sensualism” sensualism”. From trays to groceries and small shops, bars, next to the jug of cachaça, pão-de-queijo, our sweets became famous: milk sweet (the one cream filled cones, popcorn and rapadura could rolled in corn husk is the most authentic from be found. Minas Gerais); citron, lime and orange sweets, Little by little the hunger threat- disap brevidade; quince, guava and banana sweets; pé- peared, but everything was sold for very high de-moleque; pamonha wrapped in banana leaf; prices. Many of the ambitious, who had rushed queijadinha; mãe-benta, quebra-quebra; corn- to Minas Gerais to become wealthy with gold, bread or peanut bread; manioc starch biscuits; found out that it was easier to have it in their besides others from Portuguese-Brazilian confec- hands if mined by others, through trade. Voilà. tionery, whose names reveal the tenderness and The path to trade for the Minas Gerais residents gentleness of the romantic century (18th): suspiro was open and they became shrewd merchants, (meringues), melindres, arrufado, esquecidos, beijo- peddlers, caravan escorts, tropeiros, practicing de-freira; papos-de-anjo; baba-de-moça; quindim-de- to become, in the future, excellent bankers and iaiá... speculators. In the pantry, there was always a bowl With the supply of goods organized and of molasses, which could be eaten with manioc systematically kept by the caravans of tropeiros, flour or pieces of cheese, and in the stores and the settlers of Minas Gerais lacked nothing else. In the mid 1800s, there was gold in abundance.  Luciano Figueiredo ,“Mulheres nas Minas Gerais”(Women of Word was out that the Mineiros paid their suppli- Minas Gerais) in “História das Mulheres no Brasil”(History of ers generously. Regular routes of tropeiros were the women of Brazil), Contexto Press, São Paulo, p. 151.  Simão Mântua in “Cartas de um Chinês” (Letters from a Chi- established. The threat of hunger or shortage dis- nese).

Flavors from Brazil 87 appeared for good and there was an abundance tive fruits; Vila Nova da Rainha produced “the of food and supplies. delicate fruits from Portugal”, apples, peaches, Vila Rica “was abundant in provisions and grapes, plums; Serro Frio exported corn, beans the land produced many vegetables like collard and their cheeses; and Vila de São José do Rio das greens, cabbage and onions. There were also Mortes (current Tiradentes) was the most plenti- plenty of fruits, mainly peaches, quinces, orang- ful village of the entire province, supplying most es, apples and juás. Although the land was not districts with bacon, cattle, cheese, corn, beans widely cultivated, its inhabitants had no lack of and rice. food, due to the provisions that came daily by The people of Minas Gerais ate beef salted troops carrying bacon, corn, beans, cheese and in layers – dried meat or charque, salted sun-dried oil, sold at very reasonable prices” meat, “wind-dried meat” or jabá. Like the pork The cuisine from Minas Gerais owes to meat and bacon, they were preserved by smok- the tropeiros this dish – feijão-tropeiro. Its name is ing, salting, turning it into a paçoca or conserving a homage to these courageous explorers of the in fat (as it is still done). interior. In the North of Minas Gerais, the common The main commercial center were the people’s meal is still beans with corn flour and stores. In them one could find (or, most - com jabá, served with a cumari, malagueta pepper and monly, not find) cachaça, salt, sugar, beans and palm oil sauce - so hot that it can only be relieved dried meat, twisted tobacco, horseshoes, garlic, by a good gulp of cachaça with chufa sedge or firearms and prayer books. fig leaves. Gold and diamond mining were absorb- The decline of gold and diamonds, at the ing. While production was abundant, there was end of the 18th Century, was the main cause of the no room for substantial agricultural or for raising activity change of the inhabitants of Minas Ge- livestock. Agriculture, in the heat of gold extrac- rais, from the extractive industry to cattle breed- tion, could not have developed because it could ing, to manufacturing and to cultivation. In the not compete with the mines for slaves. Miners mining area itself, plantations multiplied. The paid for a black slave prices a farmer could not. agonizing mines started to rely on the expanding The barns slowly invaded the province, crops that greedily searched for fertile land in the spreading out over the fields near the São Fran- nearabouts of the mines. cisco River, as a natural extension of the Bahian In the beginning of the 19th Century, the livestock raising. economic scenario of Minas Gerais was very dif- In spite of all the difficulties, Minas Gerais ferent from what was revealed in the previous slowly became self-sufficient. From the Sabará century. The development of agriculture, breed- village came corn, beans, rice and sugarcane; ing and manufacturing, supplying the province from Vila Risonha and Bela de Santo Antônio da with elements for self-sufficiency, permitted the Manga de São Romão arrived cattle, fish and na- province to go on without foreign supplies, and even to become a supplier of regions which had before supplied them, in a complete reversal of  José Joaquim da Rocha in “Memória Histórica da Capitania the economic scene. de Minas Gerais”(Historic memories of the capitania of Minas Gerais), regarding the year of 1778.

88 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 The German naturalist Hermann Bur- meister left us with a curious impression about the The basic food on the places, scenarios, fauna and customs of the peo- tables of Minas Gerais (of ple he met on his travels to Minas Gerais in 1851. He traveled through several regions. In Mariana the well-off families, of and Ouro Preto, he made interesting notes on the schedule of meals and what they normally ate: course) was, and still is

At 10 o’clock, lunch: beans, polenta, in the majority of cases, dried meat, flour, bacon, collard greens, rice, traditionally the same and, sometimes, chicken. They ate as much as they wanted, mixing everything in one plate with few variations in the [as is still commonly done nowadays]. Between regions of the state, that 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the same meal was repeated with fresh provisions. Water and go from the South to the a bit of cachaça were drunk with the meal and, borders of Bahia. at the end, a cup of coffee. Certain families had a third meal between 7 and 8 in the evening, cooked in our own fashion, fluffy, cannot be ab- but this was not part of the general custom. At sent from the tables in Minas Gerais and last but this time, light dishes were served, like crushed not least, collard greens. corn with milk and sugar, orange tea with milk, The daily meal of a simple and common in which a biscuit or a lighter cake like sponge household is beans with polenta and torresmo, cake or cornbread was soaked. I find the orange flour and collard greens – shredded or finely tea very pleasant… chopped. The basic food on the tables of Minas Ge- The whole beans cooked, almost with no rais (of the well-off families, of course) was, and broth, and added to fried torresmos and manioc still is in the majority of cases, traditionally the flour is called feijão-de-tropeiro“ ”, “feijão-das-onze” same with few variations in the regions of the or “feijão-de-preguiça”. state, that go from the South to the borders of Another incomparable delicacy to the pal- Bahia. Beans; polenta; corn or manioc flour; rice; ates of the Mineiros, and the most “Mineiro” dish, pork loin; spicy sausages; beef meat, dried or is the tutu de feijão: made with kidney beans. After fresh; chicken; and, as greenery, collard greens it is cooked, it is thickened with manioc or corn were, and still are, the main food. flour and it is served with torresmos, sliced spicy Beans were the father of them all. “Beans sausages and sliced hard boiled eggs… yummy! are the support of a house”, goes the popular say- Just like the simple feijoada, which is some- ing. In first place, were eaten mainly the kidney times cooked with salted pork or dried meat, bean variety, but other varieties too: chumbinho, the tutu de feijão is a hearty dish that requires a chili beans, red beans and black beans. Closely “starter” to open your appetite: a small glass of after, comes the polenta, followed by torresmo. a good cachaça. At the end of the meal, a cup of Nowadays, rice competes with beans. White rice, thick coffee is a must.

Flavors from Brazil 89 Pão-de-queijo (cheese bread). Daniel Augusto Jr./Pulsar Imagens 90 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 Flavors from Brazil 91 inha de munho, farinha de cachorro or toasted corn The flavor of polenta can meal. be enriched if tropicão With the corn meal one can make the very popular mush, serving it simple, with sugar, or (torresmos) or spicy sprinkled with cinnamon. It can also be eaten with slices of cheese or by adding milk or honey, sausages are added. If you in the morning for breakfast or at night as sup- add the finely chopped per … or the fresh corn mush and the angu with milk. herb, sautéed, yummy! … At the end of the 19th Century, in the farms you have the traditional of Minas Gerais, the following daily meal was served: beans with polenta and torresmos, roast- tripod: feijão (beans), ed pork loin, spicy sausages, collard greens and angu (polenta) and couve the typical corn flour. On Sundays, invariably chicken. As dessert, “boxed sweets” and com- (collard greens). potes with cheese, or molasses with manioc or manioc flour. After dinner, on the veranda of the Small cakes made of beans are appreciated farm, congonha (fake maté) tea or coffee sugared as appetizers before lunch or dinner, to accom- with rapadura. pany an excellent cachaça made of Cayenne sug- Agriculture slowly expands. The same hap- arcane. pens with livestock. The south of Minas Gerais The daily food in the rural area consists offers the best conditions for this. Thus, begins of beans, polenta, cooked rice, some greenery the dairy industry. The Mineiro breeder emerges, and, in the best case scenarios, eggs and chicken. not a big consumer of milk, but creator of one of Manioc flour is always part of the meal… our trademarks: the cheese industry, the “Minas Polenta, a hearty dish, indispensable to the cheese”, round, savory, white cheese which is in- nourishment of the peasants, was equally found dispensable in our breakfast, with our sweets… on the table of the city dwellers. The Mineiro pre- The western districts produce pork. Pork pares it normally unsalted, a tradition inherited meat, mainly bacon, is consumed all over the from the 18th Century, when salt was a rare and region, being an indispensable seasoning in the expensive product. cooking of the whole country. The flavor of polenta can be enriched if At the end of the 19th Century, the basic tropicão (torresmos) or spicy sausages are added. food on more humble tables was still beans, flour If you add the finely chopped herb, sautéed, and polenta, accompanied by some greenery or yummy! …you have the traditional tripod: fei- garden produces: collard greens, okra, chayote, jão (beans), angu (polenta) and couve (collard sow-thistle, yam, pumpkin and taioba. On other greens). If there is no farofa, it is a custom to add  Translator’s note: Sweets made with fruits that, instead of be- manioc flour itself, toasted or not, to the beans in ing served in paste, are hardened, packed in boxes and served broth to thicken it. Maize flour is also called far- in slices, like guava sweet, banana sweet, among others.

92 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 occasions, the basic food was beans with torres- Dessert: sweets with cheese or fresh requei- mos and rice. There was almost never any meat! jão. It was not necessary! However, beans were! In- • Supper: plain corn meal, or with peanuts, stead of bread, many ate beiju, biscuits made or cheese; or fubá mush. from manioc flour, corn flour or manioc starch. • Beverage: a small cup of cachaça, as a Bread is almost a stranger to the traditional cook- “starter”, only for men. ing of Minas Gerais. • Spices: onions, chives, garlic, laurel, an- Nevertheless, the wealthier classes could natto, malagueta pepper, black pepper, co- appreciate a larger variety of food, quitandas and riander. Oil: pork fat. delicacies: This daily menu that composed the table of • Breakfast: a plate of simple corn meal mush the wealthier families in the 19th Century – abun- sprinkled with cinnamon or with molasses dant and inexpensive, varied and healthy, of food and cheese; or coffee with milk andquitan - that was easily digested and, most importantly, das; or coffee with milk and bread and but- tasty - was the menu of the cuisine from Minas ter (foreign); Gerais, maintained by tradition until today with • Lunch: Beans, either tutu de feijão with very few variations. torresmo, and spicy sausages or pork loin; Cooking secrets were passed from mother or simple beans and, sometimes, collard to daughter, as a gold nugget or a family dia- greens; or virado; or polenta, simple or mond: the “Mineiro” way of “dicing and sau- with torresmos and okra; fluffy white rice, téing”, as our old cooks say, the available ingre- dried meat or pork meat, fresh or salted, dients. The housewives of Minas Gerais may and, more rarely, fresh beef. Fresh or dried have not been versed in food science, but they meat, roasted, stewed or diced, with rice or were excellent in the art of cooking, which was manioc or collard greens or yam or string (and is) more valuable. beans; fried with beaten eggs or shredded Minas Gerais... is a small synthesis; a (roupa velha); or cooked with vegetables; crossroad. There are several Minas Gerais, so chicken preferably stewed with polenta many, and yet just one. As Guimarães Rosa and okra; greenery, not a large portion, would say: There is the forest, on the other side could be collard greens, lettuce, cabbage, of the mountain, still humid from the marine sow-thistle or taioba. For dessert: quince or winds, with agriculture and forestry, a dense- guava sweet; molasses or any other “boxed ly fertile area; there you find the pacifists and sweets” with cheese or fresh requeijão. Ba- the quarrelsome. In the South, with its coffee nanas, oranges and papayas. plantations, planted on the slopes of red soil • Snack: plain coffee or withquitandas . or on hills where Europeans organized them- • Dinner: soup, made with vegetables, or selves, maybe one of the most peaceful places meat and corn flour, or yam or water yams, of happiness in the world; there you will find manioc, white beans, fubá with greenery; the shy and the audacious, to the point of in- plain beans or virado with flour; meat and cautiousness. In the Triangle region, advanced, okra stew or with scarlet eggplant, manioc strong, and honest; there you will find those or sweet potato; or rice with fried eggs.

Flavors from Brazil 93 Chicken with okra. Peixes Press (Embratur) 94 Texts from Brazil . Nº 13 who have regular routines and the explorers. in its blood with polenta and okra. Dishes con- In the West, quiet and coarse mannered, farm- sidered genuinely from Minas Gerais, but not be- ers and politicians, rich in abilities; there you ing, however, exclusive. will find the legalists and the revolutionary. In But why did these dishes gain the status of the North, country people, hot, rustic, Bahian dishes from Minas Gerais? in some stretches, sometimes Northeastern in The Mineiro way of making them, as a ritu- the unmanageability of the bush lands, and in al; the Mineiro way of serving them, as a liturgy; the incorporation of the polygon of the drought; the way of savoring them, as a communion! there you will find the naïve and the extremely There is nothing better in the universal cui- shrewd. The central core of the Rio das Velhas sine, Guimarães Rosa stated conceitedly. valley, calcareous, mild, clear and open to the “And why not?”, he himself answered, joy of new voices; there you will find the stingy adding: “the true patriotism is in the gustative and also the prodigal. The Northwest, of the sensualism, of the table and desserts. The petro- plateaus, of the wide fields that are joined with leum will not be so much ours; ours, well ours, Goiás and Bahia, and that go forward to the Pi- will be the milk sweets and the shredded dried auí and undulating Maranhão. meat. Mine – please forgive me – is that dish from Minas Gerais which is really the most important; But I believe that the true customs of Minas stewed chicken with okra and pumpkin (ad libi- Gerais are established through the mixture and tum the scarlet eggplant) and polenta, a delicate co-existence of some of these faults and qualities, dish, sliding thickly as life itself, but dripped with the endurance of essential characteristics of with pepper”. our way of life. Is there, after all, a cuisine from Minas Ge- rais? Basic reference A very “Mineiro” way of answering – yes and no! ZEMELLA, MAFALDA P. O Abastecimento da Capitania Yes, because one can recognize a constancy das Minas Gerais no Século XVIII, Report 118, História da in the eating preferences of the people who live Civilização Brasileira n. 12, University of São Paulo, São in Minas Gerais. No, because these preferences Paulo, 1951. are not exclusive of our people. FRIEIRO, EDUARDO. Feijão, Angu e Couve - Ensaio so- bre a comida dos mineiros, Center for the Study on Minas The constancy is defined, of course, by Gerais, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Hori- the daily menu, based, primarily, on the tripod zonte, 1966. beans, polenta and collard greens, then on rice, ANDRADE, CARLOS DRUMMOND DE. Brasil, Terra & afterwards on meat (preferably pork) and, final- Alma - Minas Gerais, Autor Press, Rio de Janeiro, 1967. ly, and moderately, on vegetables and greenery. ROCHA, TIÃO. (org.) Afinal, o que é ser mineiro? Social The dishes considered typical of Minas Service of the Minas Gerais Trade, Belo Horizonte, 1995. Gerais are: tutu de feijão with torresmos or spicy sausages; roasted pork loin and finely chopped collard greens. We can still add chicken cooked Tião Rocha Anthropologist and folklorist

Flavors from Brazil 95