Another Food Mystery Solved - Maçunim

One of the things I find really enjoyable about doing Flavors of Brazil is discovering a new ingredient here in Brazil, and then "tracking it down" - that is, finding out exactly what it is botanically or zoologically, and what's it's name is in English. This is sometimes a more difficult task than one might think. There are various English-Portuguese dictionaries and glossaries, but often the word I'm looking for isn't listed, particularly if the Portuguese word is regional, as is often the case. So then it becomes an internet hunt, using search engines, tags on food sites and blogs, or linguistic search tools.

This weekend, at a simple waterfront restaurant just outside Fortaleza, I ate a seafood dish made from an ingredient that I wasn't familiar with, but which was highly recommended to me by friends. It was called maçunim (pronounced mah-soo-NEEM in Portuguese). The dish consisted of what were obviously bits of meat that had been extracted from an animal that was in the clam/mussel family, having the size, shape and texture of those little creatures. They were cooked in a sauce based on coconut milk, a typical technique from Northeastern Brazil. There were no shells present in the dish, which perhaps could have helped me track down the identity of the maçunim, so my curiosity, if not my appetite, went unsatisfied.

Back home, it took a short while to find out what maçunim is, but I've been able to solve the mystery. There was no Wikipedia listing for it, either in the English or Portuguese versions of that online encyclopedia. There were some recipes in Portuguese, which told me that the animal needed to be removed from the shell after cooking, and there were some photos. I knew through the photos that it was a bi-valve mollusk, as are clams, mussels and oysters. I know the Portuguese words for those three animals, and none of them are called maçunim . Finally, from searching articles on Google, I found an article from 2008 on the site BBC Brasil, an excellent news and information site in Portuguese from "Auntie Beeb."  In an article entitled "O Paraíso Foodie e o Maçunim" author Thomas Pappon wrote about a gastronomic trip he had taken to the Northeastern state of Alagoas, where he discovered a local delicacy called maçunim. Somehow he knew what they were, for in the article he said that this seafood was common England where it was known as "cockles." Bingo! There was the answer I'd been searching for - maçunim are the same little delicacies that Molly Malone sang about all those years ago in Dublin's Fair City. "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

Mark down one more victory for Foods of Brazil in it's eternal quest to solve the food mysteries of Brazil. And one more term for the Foods of Brazil's bi-lingual gastronomic glossary.

In the next post on this blog, I'll provide a recipe for maçunim with coconut milk. I have seen cockles available in fish markets in North America and Europe, and I'm sure the dish could also be made with almost any variety of clam.

Brazilian Chocolate Goes Architectural

Palácio da Alvorada, Brasília

Most certainly the most famous architect that Brazil has ever produced, and also one of the best-known 20th-century-modern architects in the world, Oscar Niemeyer is still going strong at the remarkable age of 102. His genius in creating the architectural design of Brazil's capital city, Brasília, built between 1956 and 1960, was recognized by UNESCO when it designated Brasília the newest place in the world worthy to be a World Heritage Site. The outlines and shapes of his monumental public buildings for Brasília are stamped on the Brazilian consciousness, and are as instantly recognizable for Brazilians as the shape of the Eiffel Tower is for the French, or the Sydney Opera House is for Australians. He has also worked extensively outside Brazil, where perhaps his most well-known work was as part of the team that created the UN Headquarters in New York City.

Although he no longer designs buildings, Sr. Niemeyer isn't vegetating during his "retirement." His eye for design is still wickedly strong, and he has recently designed such things as T-shirts for Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval band, Banda de Ipanema and pieces of furniture created from molded wood.

Recently, his latest project was announced in newspapers throughout the country. It's being reported here at Flavors of Brazil because Niemeyer has now extended his designs beyond furniture and clothes into the world of gastronomy. For the gastronomic boutique Aquim in Rio de Janeiro's tony Ipanema district he has designed a chocolate bar which echoes the distinct curves of his architectural work.

The chocolate is called, simply, Q. It is a purely Brazilian product made with chocolate from the city of Ilhéus, in the state of Bahia, with the addition of selected almonds. The chocolate is sold in a specially designed tasting-box which contains three bars of chocolate plus 42 individual chocolates in six strengths ranging from 30% to 70% cacau. Only those who have bought the box will be able to have it refilled at the store, according to Aquim .

I've no idea how Q tastes, but I imagine it must be heavenly. I do know for certain though, that it's the most beautiful chocolate bar I've ever seen. Let's hope that Sr. Niemeyer continues designing new products well into "old age." At 102, he should be an inspiration to all of us.

RECIPE - São Paulo-style Pizza (Pizza Paulistana)

As mentioned yesterday on Flavors of Brazil, 2010 is the 100th anniversary of pizza in Brazil. That history began in the city of São Paulo, where pizza is still consumed, honored, and possibly worshiped in all kinds of ways. There is a specific style of pizza which pertains to São Paulo and which is called throughout Brazil "pizza paulistana", meaning "pizza that comes from São Paulo."

Here is a recipe for  pizza paulistana, courtesy of Chef Fábio Donato, head "pizzaiolo" at São Paulo's Restaurant Castelões, from Brazilian media website UOL. On that site, there is also a video lesson from Chef Donato on how to make his recipe. He only speaks Portuguese, but the video (and Chef Donato) are charming, and it's easily to follow what he is doing visually, so it's a fun and instructive few minutes. Here is a link to the video. If you watch the video, you'll note that after rolling out the dough, the chef covers it with a layer of mozzarella before he adds the tomato sauce. As he says in the video, "If you add the sauce first, it's not nice!"

Chef Donato also admits in the video that without the high heat of his word-burning oven at the recipe, the crust will not rise as quickly, nor will it develop those lovely charred bits on its surface. However, he says that his recipe does work well in home ovens. So, celebrate Brazil's 100-year old love affair with the pizza, and make a pizza paulistana at home. You'll love it, guaranteed.
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RECIPE - São Paulo-style Pizza (Pizza Paulistana)
Enough for 3 medium pizzas

2.2 lb (1 kg) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup (560 gr) water, room temperature
1.5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp dried yeast
extra flour for kneading and rolling

mozzarella cheese sliced
tomato sauce
additional fillings as desired
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Proof the yeast in 1/4 cup warm (110F, 45C) water. When dissolved and foamy, put in a large ceramic or glass mixing bowl. Add the remaining water, and olive oil. Stir to combine. Add all the flour and let it gradually absorb the liquid, mixing gently with the tips of the fingers. Begin to mix the dough with floured hands, until all the water is absorbed and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add additional flour or warm water as needed to achieve the proper consistency. Generously flour a cool surface, preferably stone, and add the ball of flour. Knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is springy and no longer sticky. Place in a clean mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for up to 2 hours.

Remove from the mixing bowl, and place on the kneading surface, making sure it's still well-floured. Punch the dough to remove air bubbles. Separate the dough into three equal balls (extras can be frozen at this point), and roll them out quickly and rustically. Don't worry about perfect circles.

Layer slices of mozzarella over the rolled-out crust(s). Cover with a very scant layer of tomato sauce (not too much). Then top with any additional fillings you want.

Put the pizza in a very hot oven (500F, 260C) that has been preheated for at least 30 minutes, either on a pizza pan or preferably a pizza stone. Cook for 10 -15 minutes, and remove when the pizza crust has risen and is nicely browned, and the toppings are bubbling.

Serve immediately.

Pizza - The 100th Anniversary in Brazil

The year 2010 will be remembered for many things, but for many Brazilians, particularly Paulistas (people from the state of São Paulo) and Paulistanos (people from the city of São Paulo) it will be remembered as the 100th anniversary of first Brazilian pizzas. São Paulo is a pizza-mad city unlike any other, and although Brazilians are forced to admit that Italy was the birthplace of pizza, they consider São Paulo the current-day world capital of pizza. And it's hard to argue with them - São Paulo has more than 6,000 pizza establishments, and it's estimated that each day more than 1.4 million (!) pizzas are consumed in the city.

According to a recent article in the food section of the Estado of S. Paulo newspaper, it seems that the first "pizza joint" in São Paulo was called Santa Genoveva, which opened in 1910 in a neighborhood called Brás. It was opened by a Neapolitan immigrant to Brazil, Carmino Corvino, better known to his customers as Dom Carmenielo, who arrived in Brazil in 1897. He spent his first years as a street vendor, selling Neapolitan pizzas by the slice, but when he opened Santa Genoveva in 1910, he was the first in Brazil to bring the pizza indoors, and so it's from that year that Brazilian pizza-lovers count the centennial.

Until the 1950s, pizzas could only be found in the Italian districts of São Paulo, principally Bexiga and Bela Vista. These neighborhoods still have many Italian restaurants and pizza-joints, but now pizzas are ubiquitous in São Paulo. Every year there is an intensely-contested competition in São Paulo to find the best "pizzaiolo" (pizza maker) which terminated on July 10. That day is called "Dia da Pizza" in São Paulo in honor of the beloved dish.

São Paulo-style pizzas can have either thick- or thin-crusts, and the toppings are familiar to North American and European pizza eaters. The one characteristic that makes a pizza more Brazilian than not, I would say, is that there is a smaller amount of tomato sauce than in some other pizzas, and there is always cheese on it, normally mozzarella. Of course, among the more than 6000 restaurants servings pizza in the city, one can find every type of pizza imaginable, including some without cheese. It's just that those are not São Paulo pizzas, they are something else.

Eating pizza is an essential part of any foodlover's visit to the world's 3rd, 4th, or 5th biggest city (depending on your source of information). It's hard to go really wrong, and for the most authentic pizzas, it's best to head to the older Italian neighborhoods, and check out which place has the highest percentage of old-time Italo-Brazilian customers. They know their pizza!

RECIPE - Salmon with Turmeric Rice (Salmão com Arroz de Açafrão-da-terra)

This recipe for salmon with "saffron of the earth" (aka turmeric) shows how Brazilian cooks have successfully adapted recipes featuring saffron by substituting turmeric for that incredibly expensive spice. (read more about this here) Rice is combined with true saffron in the foods of many cultures. Examples are Indian biryani, Persian pilau, and Italy's risotto milanese. Here the rice is colored and flavored with turmeric instead.

Salmon is a popular fish these days in Brazil, but since it's a cold-water species, it is not caught locally. The salmon that is available in Brazil is normally farmed salmon from Chile, where there's a large aquaculture industry. Having just returned myself from the west coast of Canada, where they were enjoying the best sockeye salmon catch in a hundred years, I find farmed salmon a somewhat palid  variation, but Brazilians do love it. I'm sure that this recipe would be marvelous with wild Atlantic or Pacific salmon.
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RECIPE - Salmon with Turmeric Rice (Salmão com Arroz de Açafrão-da-terra)
Serves 4

For the rice:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice
2 cups water
1.5 cup light chicken stock
1/2 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste

For the salmon:
1 medium salmon fillet, cut into 4 serving pieces
1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, finely chopped
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Make the rice: in a heavy, medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until translucent but not browned. Add the rice (and a bit more oil if necessary) and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the rice is coated with oil and becoming transparent. Add the water, chicken stock and turmeric, adjusting salt if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Remove from heat and let stand, without uncovering, for 10 minutes. Reserve.

Make the salmon: Heat a heavy non-stick frying pan or grill pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil and cook the salmon, skin side down first, for about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Meanwhile, in a medium pan heat the remaining olive oil, and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent but not browned. Add the white wine ,whipping cream, tomato paste and 1 Tbsp. parsley. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has cooked down and thickened, approximately 5 minutes.

To serve: Pool some sauce on a plate, top with a salmon fillet, then drizzle additional sauce over. Add a mound of rice to the side of the fish, then sprinkle the additional chopped parsley over all. Serve immediately

INGREDIENTS - Saffron and Turmeric

SAFFRON

TURMERIC

Saffron, the world's most expensive spice by weight, was first carried to Brazil on board Portuguese caravels, and has been a part of repertoire of spices used in traditional Brazilian cuisine ever since. Originally from central Asia, saffron (açafrão in Portuguese) was first cultivated commercially in the Eastern Mediterranean, and was part of the culinary heritage left in Portugal by the retreating Moors. It is valued around the world for the brilliant yellow color it imparts to any food to which it is added, and for its sweet, grassy or hay-like aroma and taste.

As much as this dried stigma of a crocus (that's what saffron is) is valued in Brazil, for a large portion of the country's population, its price simply puts it out of reach. By weight, saffron costs about USD $1000 per pound in most Western countries, including Brazil. So in a country in which the minimum wage is just over USD $300 per month, not many people can afford saffron.

Brazilian cooks and Brazilian cuisine are nothing if not clever and inventive, making do with what's available and what's affordable. In that same colonial spice larder which held the precious saffron, there was another spice that was much less expensive and which Brazilian cooks began to use as a substitute for saffron - it gave dishes the same color, more or less, as saffron did, although it didn't provide the same aroma or taste as the more expensive spice. It was originally known as cúrcuma or turmérico or, in English turmeric. This spice originated in Southeast Asia and is a rhizome, like its relative, ginger. Once Brazilian kitchen slaves began to substitute this spice for true saffron, they began to refer to it as açafrão-da-terra, meaning saffron-of-the-earth, and this is the name which is most commonly used in Brazil today. As a matter of fact, it's often shortened just to açafrão under the assumption that most cooks will automatically assume that it's turmeric being spoken of, not true saffron. If a contemporary Brazilian recipe employs true saffron, the directions will make it clear not to add turmeric but rather the "high-price-spice."

Brazilian cuisine has adopted turmeric enthusiastically, and many dishes call for it to be added - I suspect not only for its color-enhancing properties, but also because of its earthy, warm taste. I've cooked Brazilian recipes which call for turmeric which, in my opinion, would not be suited to true saffron. Starting out as a cheaper substitute for a very expensive product, turmeric is now valued in Brazil for its own properties, and for its kindlier price point too.

Brazil's Only "Dry Day"

Moving from Canada to Brazil, one of the biggest cultural differences I noticed between the two countries was the cultural and legal attitude toward the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Canada, though it has changed tremendously in the past 20 years, is still working its way out of the traditions of temperance and tolerance. Though it's no longer the case, when I first moved to Canada the only place to buy any alcohol was in a government liquor store, where all the stock was out of sight and you had to know what you wanted and order it from a non-smiling, bored government liquor store clerk. And every act involved in drinking, in public or private, seemed to be regulated - from the day of the week and time of day, to the size of the serving and even your body position (you had to be seated at all times while drinking).

Brazil, has always had a very different, and much more relaxed attitude to alcoholic beverages, probably a heritage of their Latin colonizers the Portuguese. There is a minimum age for drinking alcohol, 16, but other than there there are very few rules. Anyone can sell alcoholic drinks, anywhere, and at any time of day or night. If the little popcorn vendor on a street corner wants to sell beer, he or she can. Supermarkets which are open 24 hours don't have to cut off sales at a certain time. Any almost every bar in the country stays open until the last customer heads out the door - and is open when the first early-bird wants to wet his morning whistle.

Except today, October 03. From midnight last night until midnight tonight there is total prohibition. That means no sales in bars, restaurants, supermarkets, liquor stores, anywhere. The reason? It's because today is a national election, including elections for president, governors, senators, and federal deputies.

All polls indicate that Brazil is poised to elect its first female president - Dilma Rousseff (pronouced Jilma Hoosseffee in Portuguese). There is some question whether she will be elected today, or whether she will have to enter a run-off election in a few weeks, but few doubt that she will be Brazil's next president. She is the chosen candidate of outgoing president, Luiz Inácio da Silva, better known all around the world as Lula. Having completed two terms he is ineligable to run again, but he is so popular (80% national popularity ratings after 8 years in office!) that if he endorsed his pet dog, the animal would probably win. According to England's The Independent and today's New York Times, if Dilma becomes president, she will become the most powerful woman in the world. She's been in politics a long time, and was an underground guerrilla who suffered imprisonment and torture under the military dictatorship of the 60s and 70s. She has been Lula's right hand for the past four years, during most of which time she was his heir apparent. In order to win today, she must win 50% of the total vote nationally. If she wins less, she must then enter a run-off with the second-leading vote earner, likely the distinctly uncharismatic José Serra, the leading conservative candidate and formerly the governor of São Paulo state.

UPDATE: The results are in from yesterday's voting, and Dilma did less well than expected. She still was the leading vote-winner, but got only about 47% of the total votes, so Brazil will go to the polls again (and have another "dry day"!) on October 31.

So if the election results come in early tonight, supporters and candidates themselves will (theoretically) have to keep the champagne on ice until the chimes of midnight begin to toll. Being Brazil, however, I suspect that those charged with enforcing the 24-hour prohibition that the country is enduring, will look the other way.