From the famous popcorn to the corn cake, several typical Brazilian recipes were created by indigenous people and have taken root in the country.
Summary
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a Brazilian date that celebrates and remembers the culture of Brazilian indigenous peoples, as well as the foods that were created by these same peoples, such as Açaí, fish moqueca, cassava flour and paçoca .
Celebrated on April 19, the Indigenous Peoples Day It is a Brazilian date in which we celebrate the diversity of the culture of the indigenous peoples who have inhabited or continue to inhabit Brazil.
And one of the main parts of the culture of any place is food. Among indigenous peoples the situation is no different: part of Brazilian cuisine, ingredients and dishes of indigenous origin are consumed in all parts of the country, but few are aware of it.
Therefore, in this text, we will show you some flavors that come from dishes of indigenous peoples and are very common throughout Brazil!
What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a Brazilian date that celebrates and remembers the culture of Brazilian indigenous peoples, both those who have become extinct and those who still inhabit the country’s territory.
This date was created in 1943, during the Getúlio Vargas government, in the Estado Novo era, and is celebrated every April 19th. It was previously known as “Indian Day”, but the name was changed with the aim of “more adequately representing the cultural and ethnic diversity of the original peoples”.
Indigenous Peoples Day: Discover foods of indigenous origin
Açaí, tapioca, tamale, popcorn: do you like any of these dishes? Well, know that you like the typical dishes of the indigenous populations!
Although the dishes have undergone many changes over time, both due to the influence of the colonizers and the regional adaptations made by Brazil, all these foods are the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples.
Acai
A favorite dessert among Brazilians for its flavor and the energy it provides, açaí is a fruit consumed by indigenous people and, over time, was adapted by Brazilians to become the pulp we eat today.
Among the recipes that can be made with açaí there are açaí in a bowl – which has the most varied combinations possible and can satisfy all tastes – and açaí juice.
Hominy or Munguzá
This is one of those dishes that has different names throughout Brazil: called mungunzá in the Northeast and North and canjica in the Southeast, South and Central-West states, this dish is originally based on white corn and was created from the Tupinambá.
Like other typical dishes, it has been adapted in several cities in Brazil and, today, forms an important part of the June celebrations that take place throughout the country. Generally, hominy contains white corn, coconut milk, condensed milk, and shredded or fresh coconut.
It is worth remembering that what in the south-east is known as curau, that sweet corn cream with cinnamon, in the north and north-east is called canjica. In other words, be careful not to get confused.
Chimarrão
A typical drink of the Gauchos, chimarrão was commonly consumed by the Guarani, Aymara and Quincha peoples in the southernmost region of South America.
Called by the indigenous people “caá-i”, meaning herbal water, chimarrão at the time was prepared with chopped leaves and hot water and consumed in a container of woven fibers.
Current chimarrão has a variety of recipes, such as alcoholic chimarrão, which uses whiskey.
Manioc
Also called cassava or cassava, cassava is the main ingredient and raw material of a number of typical Brazilian dishes and preparations, including beiju, which involves pasta made from cassava, tapioca, based on tapioca gum, and cassava flour, a side dish famous for its versatility.
What few people know, however, is that the cassava cake recipe is older than we believe: it was once a source of nourishment for indigenous populations and, nowadays, it has gained variations such as coconut cassava cake .
Corn
Corn is one of the most used cereals in Brazilian cuisine, being the main ingredient of cakes, bread, desserts and numerous other preparations loved by the population.
And it was no different in the case of the indigenous people who created Brazil: this was one of the main ingredients they used, to the point that several typical corn-based dishes received names of indigenous origin and are still appreciated today.
Some of them are tamales – whose Tupi name is a variation of the word “pamuna”, which means “sticky” and has savory and sweet variations –, corn cake and popcorn.
stew
Fish moqueca, famous in Brazil, derives from the Tupi “pokeka” and means “roasted fish”.
Nowadays, moquecas exist in different versions, including vegan versions and versions with other fish, such as cod, which can satisfy all tastes.
Peanut candy
Who doesn’t love a little peanut butter? This delicious dessert also has native origins!
Its name comes from the Tupi “po-çoc”, which means “to crumble”. Made from peanuts, sugar and salt, paçoca is, in addition to being a delicious dessert in itself, the main ingredient of numerous dishes, from brigadeiro de paçoca to bolo de paçoca.
Pirao
Made with broth and flour, pirão – a word meaning “thick porridge” – was a dish created to reuse leftover food, avoiding waste.
Although traditional pirão is prepared with fish broth and cassava flour, there are several versions of this dish.
Tacaca
Tacacá, which has become popular among Brazilians in recent months thanks to memes featuring the song “Voando pro Pará”, by Joelma, is a typical Pará dish first prepared by the indigenous people of Pará.
Its composition contains tapioca gum — made from cassava —, tucupi, which is a broth made from cassava, shrimp and jambu, an herb that causes a numb sensation in the mouth when consumed.
How important are indigenous foods?
Learning about foods of indigenous origin is a way to learn about the culture of the original Brazilian people and, consequently, learn about Brazilian culture.
This is because the culture of this people was very important for the formation of Brazilian culture and their typical dishes ended up taking root in the eating habits of the colonizers and, consequently, of the populations that inhabit Brazil.
At Terra Degusta you can discover other typical Brazilian recipes to taste!
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
