RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Two (Caldo Verde Cearense)

Yesterday's post extolling the winter charms of Portugal's (and now Brazil's) famous kale, potato and sausage soup caldo verde highlighted the meteorological similarities between the cold, damp winter temperatures in the soup's homeland and it's new home in the New World. But it's not only the weather that allows the more temperate regions of Brazil to offer up  such delicious caldo verde, it's the fact that the ingredients which are the backbone of caldo verde can be cultivated most successfully in precisely those parts of Brazil that are most similar in weather and soil conditions to Portugal.

The weather in great areas of Brazil, however, is worlds away from what Portugal experiences. There aren't any winter foods in Brazil's north and northeast for the simple reason there is no winter. Just like with winter clothes - people in those regions just don't need them.

Caldo verde as it's served in Europe really has no place in tropical climates. And what is more, some of the ingredients of the soup, particularly potatoes don't find the tropics to be friendly environments. But the culinary influence of Portugal is just as strong in these hot climes as it is further south. So what happens? Caldo verde mutates in these regions to something lighter, less rich and which substitutes locally available ingredients - potato makes way for manioc and the fatty Portuguese sausage chouriço is replaced by small quantities of sun-dried carne de sol and bacon.

You might just call it a tropical tribute to the Portuguese original. And a suitable tribute it is - delicious and substantial without being heavy, caldo verde cearense (caldo verde from Ceará) shows its European lineage with pride, and exhibits its tropical reinventiveness with equal pride.
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RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Two (Caldo Verde Cearense)
2 servings

1 lb (400 gr) manioc tubers, peeled and cubed
4 cups (1 liter) cold water
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp cubed bacon
2 Tbsp cooked and shredded carne de sol
1/3 cup kale, cut into this strips and lightly packed
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
salt to taste
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In a heavy saucepan saute the onion and bacon until the onion is transparent and the bacon has rendered most of its fat. Add the cubed manioc and the cold water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the manioc is fully tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour into a saucepan, add the strips of kale and the shredded carne de sol and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the kale is softened and has a bright green color. Check for salt and season if required - which will depend on the saltiness of the bacon.

Pour into two serving bowls. Drizzle each with half of the olive oil, then sprinkle parsley on top. Serve immediately. Caldo verde cearense is traditionally served with corn bread.

RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take One (Caldo Verde Tradicional)

One of Portugal's most well-known traditional dishes is a hearty, rich and warming soup called caldo verde, which simply means green soup. On a cold, damp day on Portugal's windswept Atlantic shore, or in one of its charming mountain villages, a large bowl of caldo verde accompanied by thick slices cut from a rustic loaf of bread fills the body and sustains the soul like nothing else.

The green in caldo verdo comes from kale, a member of the cabbage family. Kale's leaves, dark green sometimes tinged with purple, can be curly or flat, but unlike many varieties of cabbage don't form a head. According to many sources of nutritional information kale has good claim to being the world's most nutritious food - low in calories, with no fat, and packed full of vitamins, calcium and chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties. Caldo verdo combines kale with potatoes, onions, garlic and chunks of the typical Portuguese sausage chouriço in a rich broth.

Caldo verde is well-known in Brazil, particularly in those parts of the country in which a large segment of the population has Portuguese ancestry, and where winter temperatures can be chilly if not downright cold. For example, one is likely to encounter caldo verde in the mountainous interior state of Minas Gerais, or in the higher elevations of Santa Catarina or Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil's south.

Now (the month of June) is a perfect time for Flavors of Brazil to publish a caldo verde recipe for its readers in Brazil, if not for North American or European readers who may be sweltering in a summer heat wave. This is the coldest time of the year in Brazil, and this morning's national TV news was full of stories of the cold snap which has hit the south of the country in recent days. In Santa Catarina minimum overnight temperatures reached -4C (about 24F) and even in relative temperate São Paulo the thermometer reached 2C (35F). Perfect weather for a steaming bowl of caldo verde.
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RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take One (Caldo Verde Tradicional)
 Serves 2

1/2 lb (250 gr) kale, washed and cut into thin strips
4 cups (1 liter) water
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb (250 gr) Portuguese chouriço or other garlic sausage, thinly sliced
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Put the chopped potatoes, onion and garlic in a large saucepan or stockpot and cover with 4 cups (1 liter) water. Bring to the boil rapidly, then reduce heat and cook until the vegetables are very tender and the potatoes begin to fall apart. Remove from the heat and reserve, keeping warm.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan bring a good quantity of water to the boil, then add the strips of kale. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the kale develops a bright green color. Immediately drain into a colander or sieve then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process and set the color.

Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, coarsely mash the potatoes and onion in the broth until it is thickened. Do not overmash - you do not want a completely homogenized mixture. Return it to the stove, and bring once more to a low boil. Add the kale, the sausage and one Tbsp of the olive oil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, divide between two large soup bowls, drizzle the remaining Tbsp of olive oil over and serve immediately accompanied by crusty rustic bread and a green salad if desired.

Brazil's Consumer Protection Law vs. Restaurants

Brazil's federal consumer protection law (Código Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor) is one of the strongest in the world. On paper it is probably the strongest worldwide in terms of the protection it affords the consumer from abusive practices on the part of businesses. In terms of actual business practices, however, the law is not always obeyed, and in many cases businesses continue practices that are explicitly forbidden in the law. It's a question of impunity, lack of enforcement, lack of consumer knowledge, or even at times lack of knowledge on the part of a business that a certain practice, common in their industry, is illegal.

There are two practices that are commonly encountered in Brazilian restaurants and bars which are forbidden by the law, yet which in many types of establishments are almost universal. A recent survey indicated that the majority of Brazilian consumers were unaware that these practices were illegal, and those that were aware were likely not to know what their remedies were. These practices are something called the couvert (cover charge) and a charge for live music.

Tourists visiting Brazil and dining in a restaurant (especially an upmarket one) are often pleasantly surprised when the waiter brings to the table, unasked, a selection of breads, olive oil, perhaps some cubes of cheese and salami. This is called a couvert in Portuguese, and is normally placed on the table while the diners are reading their menus and deciding what to eat. One might be forgiven for thinking, "what a nice gesture." It's only when the bill arrives, if then, that the customer realizes that they've been charged for that nice gesture. It might be only a small charge, but in fancy restaurants it can reach R$20 (about USD $12) or more.

The consumer law specifically prohibits the practice of placing a a couvert on the table without informing the customer that there is a charge for the plate and offering them the option to decline it. This almost never occurs. In the real world, customers have two options if they do not want the couvert. First, you can tell the waiter that you don't want the couvert and ask him not to place it on the table. Alternatively, you can eat nothing on the plate, and leave it to be cleared away at some point by the waiter. If you do this, be sure to check the bill carefully to make sure the couvert has not been charged for. If it has, speak to the waiter or the manager if necessary to have it removed. Note, however, that if you eat even one little olive or cube of cheese you have, in effect, contracted to buy the couvert and will be correctly charged for it in full. It's a bit like Persephone eating one pomegranate seed in Hades - you've locked yourself into a bargain, one that you may not want.

It should be pointed out that sometimes the couvert is very well done and well worth the price. Some restaurants are famed for the quality and variety of their coverts, and no one objects to paying for them in these establishments. The point of the consumer protection law is not to forbid couverts - it is to allow the consumer to make an informed choice whether she wants to eat and pay for the couvert or not.

The second way that the consumer protection law bumps into restaurant/bar practice is the charge for live music. One of the delights of many a Brazilian bar or boteco is the live music offered to accompany drinks, snacks and lively conversation. It can be someone singing bossa nova and playing an acoustic guitar. Or it might be a trio singing hits of the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga in thickly-accented English. It can be the touch that completes a perfect night out with friends, or it can be something that will cause you to flee the bar with your hands over your ears. But what it cannot be, according to the law, is an item on your tab at the end of the night. The argument that the law makes is that the consumer goes to the bar for food and drink, and may or may not want to listen to the music. However, they have no choice whether to listen or not, and as listening is not a choice of the customer, it cannot be charged for.

Zug Choperia, Fortaleza

In the case of a live music charge, however, the consumer law is more honored in the breach than the observance. A charge for live music is to be expected in bars and restaurants where it is offered. It's usually not very high, especially considering the quality of what you might be listening to - a few dollars at most. Unlike the couvert, which is easily refused on a per table basis, the practice of billing for live musica cannot easily be declined with grace. A restaurant is certainly not going to stop the music to accommodate you - and it seems a bit churlish to refuse to pay for what one has listened to, especially since the music charge usually goes directly to the musicians and is their only pay for their work.

So here we have two practices which theoretically are forbidden but which are often encountered. Flavors of Brazil, in its wise counsel, recommends that you make your own decision about whether to eat the couvert or not - it's easy to decline if done at the right time. As for the music charge, we pay it, and recommend that you do the same. Just mark it down as part of the cost of enjoying a typical Brazilian experience - a night out with a group of friends, good snacks, plenty of icy beer, all accompanied with a live music soundtrack.

RECIPE - Fried Fish, São Paulo Style (Frigideira de Peixe)

This recipe comes from Brazil's most populous state, São Paulo, home to more than forty-one million inhabitants, a majority of whom can trace their ancestry back to immigrants from Portugal, Spain or Italy. It's that Mediterranean ancestry which probably explains the quantity of olive oil (and olives) in this delicious recipe for fried fish. Since we've been discussing the role of olive oil in Brazilian cuisine the past couple of days here on Flavors of Brazil, it seems appropriate to feature a recipe in which both the fruit of the olive tree and the oil pressed from that fruit sit front and center.

The traditional recipe for this dish calls for the fish to be cação, which is the Portuguese word for shark as a food source (there's another word for the animal itself). There are significant concerns about the sustainability of shark fisheries worldwide, so we recommend that you choose another white-fleshed fish that doesn't easily flake - halibut being an excellent substitution.
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RECIPE - Fried Fish, São Paulo Style (Frigideira de Peixe)
Serves 4

For the fish:
4 shark, halibut or other white fish steaks
salt to taste
juice of one lime
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, sedded and chopped
1 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped (deli-style European olives preferred)
4 caper berries
freshly ground black pepper to taste


To garnish:

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into strips
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely minced
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Wash and dry the fish steaks. Season them with salt to taste and lime juice. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil, and fry the chopped onion and tomatoes in it until the onions are transparent and the tomatoes are soft. Sprinkle half the chopped olives over the onion/tomato mixture, then add the four steaks in one layer. Sprinkle the remainder of the olives on top, and add one caper berry to the top of each steak. Cover the pan, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through.

While the fish is cooking, heat another frying pan and add one Tbsp olive oil. Fry the onion and tomato strips briefly, until the onion is just transparent and the tomato strips are softened.

When the fish is cooked, sprinkle the fried onion and tomato-strip mixture over, the top with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately from the pan, accompanied by either white rice or boiled new potatoes.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

The Quest for Brazilian Olive Oil

As detailed in yesterday's post on Flavors of Brazil about the size of the Brazilian market for imported olive oil, Brazil's consumption of olive oil (or azeite as they call it) is stupendously large, and is increasing exponentially from year to year.

Considering the economic value of the oil that is imported into Brazil every year, not to mention the equally large market for imported olives themselves, it's only natural that Brazilian agriculturalists and botanists have turned their thoughts to the possibilities of creating a domestic market in olives and olive oils. It has long been thought that Brazil didn't offer the climatic or soil conditions that the olive tree requires to grow and bear fruit. The area around the Mediterranean Sea, where the tree flourishes, is known for dry, sandy soil, hot and arid summers, and cool and damp winters. Brazil, with its tropical soil, year-round heat and high levels of humidity was thought to be inimical to olive tree cultivation.

It is true that large portions of Brazil, such as the jungles of the Amazon River basin, or the semi-arid northeast, just cannot support olive cultivation. But other regions of Brazil offer interesting possibilities, and research scientists have begun a number of agricultural research studies and tests to try to find the right combination of climatic conditions and olive tree cultivars to build a Brazilian olive oil industry from scratch. The preliminary results are very encouraging.

Maria da Fé, Minas Gerais

The largest project, and the one which is closest to developing a commercially viable domestic olive oil comes from the interior Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where at higher altitudes the climate more closely mimics Mediterranean climate, particularly during wintertime, than does most of Brazil. An agricultural research organization, called Epamig (a Portuguese acronym for "Agricultural Research Institute of Minas Gerais") located promising land for olive tree cultivation in the small city of Maria da Fé , located in the south of Minas Gerais. They planted a research olive grove there more than fifty years ago, and only now are their efforts bearing fruit - figuratively and literally, since olive trees require at least fifty years before they provide a sustainable quantity of olives.

In 2008 the first viable harvest from the groves at Maria da Fé yielded one ton of olives, resulting in 200 liters of oil. In 2009, the harvest yielded 500 liters of oil, and in 2010 about 1000 liters. The scientific analysis of the oil from Maria da Fé is very encouraging. The oil is very low in acidity (0.39%), an important factor in valuing olive oil, as the acidity can be no more than (0.80%) for an oil to be considered extra-virgin.

Although the quantity of oil produced so far by Epamig is miniscule, groves have been planted in a number of locations with climate and soil conditions similar to those at Maria da Fé, and these groves will begin producing shortly. Farmers in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, realizing the economic potential of olive cultivation have planted hundreds of thousands of trees, anticipating the future market for domestic olive oil.

Epamig Olive Oil

In September of 2010, Epamig brought their olive oil for the first time to ExpoAzeite, an olive oil trade fair held annually in São Paulo. Tastings were offered and the consensus was that Brazilian olive oil has nothing to be ashamed of and can stand in the market for olive oil on its own merits, not just on the fact that it is Brazilian.

Though the Brazilian olive oil industry is still very much in its infancy, one would be forgiven if one said that its future looks golden - olive-oil golden.

INGREDIENTS - Olive Oil (Azeite)

Considering all the cultural and gastronomic links that unite Portugal and its former colonies in South America which constitute present-day Brazil, it's no great surprise that Brazil today has a tremendous appetite for olive oil. For what could be more emblematic of Portuguese cuisine than the liquid gold that is the gift of the European olive tree (Olea europaea)? Early Portuguese explorers and settlers arrived on the shores of Brazil bearing bottles of precious olive oil, and from its earliest days the nascent cuisine of Brazil made liberal use of the oil. Brazilian cooks of all kinds to this day employ the oil to fry foods and to season and flavor them.

Brazil's appetite for olive oil (azeite in Portuguese) is staggeringly large. Since virtually all of the olive oil consumed in Brazil is imported, import statistics can give us a handle on the size of the market. In the last year for which statistics have been published, 2009, 44,000 tons of olive oil were imported. Preliminary estimates for 2010 suggest that the total for that year will have increased to 50,000 tons - that is 100 million pounds of oil, or approximately 50 million quarts or liters.

About 95% of the oil that is imported to Brazil comes from the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, principally Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Italy and North Africa. The Mediterranean is where olives were first cultivated, and where olive oil was first produced, even before the Mediterranean became a Roman sea. Today, people who inhabit the Mediterranean basin, from the Middle East to Portugal, and from southern France and the Balkans to Morocco and Egypt consume more olive oil than in any other part of the world. But the Brazilians aren't far behind.

In Brazilian dishes which come directly from the Portuguese kitchen, or which are inspired by the cuisine of that country, olive oil is almost always the only vegetable oil used. Salt cod (bacalhau) without a liberal sprinkling of olive oil is unthinkable, and Portuguese-inspired soups and stews invariably emply olive oil. But even dishes which can't be traced back to European roots, like the Afro-Brazilian dishes typical of Bahian cooking, often call for olive oil - sometimes in combination with other oils, like corn oil, or the brilliant-orange palm oil called dendê.

As Brazil's economy grows, and the average Brazilian's ability to afford olive oil increases, it is expected that the import market for olive oil will continue to grow in the years to come. Some Brazilian agriculturalists and food scientists are beginning to wonder if the country really needs to import all of the oil that it consumes and are questioning why there is no domestic production of olive oil. Flavors of Brazil will highlight their efforts in our next post.

Those Exotic, Difficult-to-find Ingredients

As a blog about all things Brazilian in the world of gastronomy and cooking, Flavors of Brazil must deal constantly with the problem that one or more ingredients in an important dish or preparation might be very difficult to find outside Brazil.Flavors of Brazil is written in English, and although about 25% of our page views come from Brazil, the vast majority of hits come from English-speaking countries - the USA, Canada and the UK leading the list.

Consequently, we're often faced with an editorial dilemma when deciding which dish to feature, or what recipe to publish. Should we post a recipe that requires an ingredient that is virtually unobtainable outside Brazil, or should we avoid publishing it so as not to frustrate readers who'd like to try the recipe but can't find the ingredients they need?  For example, many dishes from Bahia require dendê oil, made from a palm tree and not widely available in North America or Europe. You can't make Brazil's famous acarajé without dendê, and Flavors of Brazil couldn't pretend to any sort of completeness without a recipe for acarajé.

Our solution has normally been to publish the recipe, indicate which ingredients might be difficult to find and to suggest substitutes where possible. Where substitution of an ingredient would render the recipe meaningless, we try to suggest possible sources of the ingredient.

All of which brings us to the topic of this post. Just as Flavors of Brazil might make a list of Brazilian ingredients which are hard to find, with suggestions about substitution, one of Brazil's national newspapers, Folha de S. Paulo, this week published an interesting piece on ingredients from other countries and cultures which are difficult or impossible to source in Brazil. Readers of this blog from the USA, from Australia or France, for instance, might be surprised that foods that are absolutely mundane to them and universally available are considered exotic and strange in Brazil.

I remember the first time I finally tracked down fresh celery here in Fortaleza, and served it on a vegetable platter. Almost none of the twenty or so guests at the party knew what it was or recognized the flavor when they sampled it. Celery just doesn't have a place in most Brazilians' kitchens, and its distinctive flavor doesn't contribute to stocks and broths, or to tuna salad, or to vegetable platters in this part of the world.

So, just to amplify this list, and exemplify the notion that exoticism is in the eye of the beholder, here are some ingredients discussed in the piece from Folha de S. Paulo:

• rhubarb
• curry powder
• maple syrup
• buttermilk
• parsnips
• sour cream
• lemons

The next time you're in the produce section of your local market and spot a package of celery, or pick up a tub of cour cream, just think to yourself, "How exotic!"