Brazil's "Homage" Recipe Classics

Carpaccio - Portrait of an Unknown Man with Red Beret

One way that noted politicians, singers, writers and actors have been hailed and honored through history is by having their names grace streets, public spaces, buildings, airports and other facilities. Think of JFK Airport in New York or Charles de Gaulle Airport serving Paris. Even cities and states are baptized with the names of the famous - Lincoln, Nebraska or (formerly) Leningrad and Stalingrad are examples.

Nelly Melba

Interestingly, one way in which many celebrities are honored and remembered is by bestowing their name on a recipe or food. Peach Melba honors the Australian soprano Nelly Melba, while another soprano Adelina Patti is remembered through Poularde Adelina Patti, a French chicken dish. There is controvery about which of two New York stockbrokers named Benedict lent his name to Eggs Benedict - either Lemuel Benedict or LeGrand Benedict. Italian painter Carpaccio was famous for his use of a particular red color and the resemblance of this color to the color of a plate of thinly-sliced raw beef resulted in the dish beef carpaccio. Nineteenth century British Prime Minister Earl Grey is more famous today as a tea than as a Prime Minister.

Brigadeiro

Brazil has a number of recipes which honor its own famous and/or notorious. Previously on Flavors of Brazil we've featured the chocolate treat called brigadeiro, the grilled steak which honors politician and diplomat Osvaldo Aranha and a rich cake from north-eastern Brazil named after a family of sugar plantation owners, bolo Souza Leão. Other well-loved Brazilian recipes come from other countries already named for celebrities - Portugal is the source of  Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá and the noble Russian family the Stroganoffs have been naturalized in Brazil as the Estroganofes.

In the next few posts, Flavors of Brazil will highlight other Brazilian "homage" recipes - two recipes named for famous Brazilians which were created by the kitchen of one of Rio de Janeiro's oldest and most-revered restaurants, Rio Minho, and another, whimsically named by the honoree himself, bossa-nova composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.