Red Rice (Arroz Vermelho) - A Weed Becomes a Star

Considered a weed in the world of rice cultivation, the red-husked variety of rice is leaving its sketchy background behind and becoming an object of culinary desire here in Brazil. Red rice has a long history in this country, and has always been appreciated for its flavor in the semi-arid regions of northeastern Brazil. Outside of that region, however, it's only recently begun to show up on diner's plates in high-end, chef-driven restaurants.

Red rice (called arroz vermelho in Portuguese, and also known in Brazil as arroz-da-terra and arroz de Veneza) first arrived in Brazil in 1535, in the state of Bahia. White rice arrived more than two centuries later in 1765. It's reddish coloration is a naturally spontaneous mutation of white rice, and a certain percentage of any crop of white rice will show this trait. In recent years, however, cultivators have been working to find a cultivar of rice that will produce a reliable crop of red rice every time. Just as they have always done with white rice, trying to find a cultivar that won't display the red variation.

Red rice has a more crunchy texture than white rice, as it is a whole-grain rice and has not been polished. It's flavor is a bit nutty, with hints of almond. Traditional northeastern Brazilian cooking has always known how to cook this rice to its best advantage, and now chefs in other parts of the country, notably São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and in the state of Minas Gerais, are adding red rice to their larders and creating inventive dishes that highlight its very attractive qualities.

In the next two posts on Flavors of Brazil, I'll provide two recipes for this rice, one a traditional recipe from the northeast, and the other a chef's creation from a mountain resort in southeastern Brazil.

RECIPE - Maniçoba

Have you got a week with nothing to do? Or do you have to feed a crowd of 30-35 persons next week? Want to risk poisoning all those guests if you don't follow the recipe properly?

If your answer to those questions is YES, then Flavors of Brazil would like to present for your consideration a dish from the Brazilian state of Pará called Maniçoba.

This dish, which is one of the most famous festival and holiday dishes of Pará is made with the leaves of the cassava plant, or mandioca as it's known in Brazil. Because of the poisonous cyanides in these leaves, the dish requires a week's cooking time, and isn't worth the time or effort to make a small quantity. Thus, even in its home territory, maniçoba is a dish that's generally only consumed at festival and religious celebrations, where the numbers of people make all the effort that goes into cooking maniçoba worth while.

Since main ingredient of maniçoba is 33 lbs (15 kg) of fresh cassava leaves, I'm not worried that someone will read the recipe that follows, rushing it, and kill off their entire neighborhood, extended family or parish. But I think it's such an interesting recipe, and one that has such a long and colorful history, that it deserves a place in this blog.

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RECIPE - Maniçoba
 Prep time: 1 week
Serves 35-40

35 lbs (15 kg) fresh cassava (mandioca) leaves
4.5 lbs (2 kg) lard
4.5 lbs (2 kg) smoked bacon, whole
4.5 lbs (2 kg) pig's feet, salted
4.5 lbs (2 kg)  pig's ears, salted
4.5 lbs (2 kg) pig's tongue, salted
4.5 lbs (2 kg)  pig's tail, salted
4.5 lbs (2 kg) pork loin, salted
4.5 lbs (2 kg)  pork ribs, salted
9 lbs (4 kg) carne de sol
3 lbs (1.5 kg) kielbasa-type sausage
3 lbs (1.5 kg) chorizo sausage
3 lbs (1.5 kg) linguiças sausage
9 lbs (4.5 kg) beef tripe
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Remove stalks and central vein from cassava leaves, then thoroughly wash in cold water. In handfuls, grind the leaves using the finest blade of a meat grinder. You should have approximate 14 kb (6 kgs) of pulped leaves. Put the cassava leaves in a 40-50 quart industrial stockpot, add water to cover, and simmer for 72 hours (3 days). Thoroughly mix 8-12 times a day, making sure that the leaves don't stick to the bottom of the pot. When necessary to avoid drying out, add water to the mixture.

After 3 days, add the lard and the smoked bacon, whole. Continue to cook for 24 hours. On the fourth day, in another large stockpot add all the meats with the exception of the sausages and tripe and cover with cold water. Soak for 24 hours, changing the water several times.

On the fifth day, coarsely chop the tripe, pour boiling water over it to scald it, and let it cool in the water. Remove the salted meats from their soaking water, wash them thoroughly and boil them for 1 hours. Add the salted meats and the tripe to the cassava leaf mixture and cook for another 48 hours (2 days) removing the pot from the heat while sleeping.

On the sixth day, cut all the sausages into thick rounds, then add them to the stockpot. Continue to cook for 24 hours (again removing the pot from the heat while sleeping).

On the seventh day, you can rest, as the maniçoba is ready to serve, with white rice.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brazileira by Abril Editora

The Case of the Two Maniocs

Yesterday, there was a post here on Flavors of Brazil about the confusing nomenclature for the staple food plant cassava (or manioc, or yuca, etc. etc.) Let's hope that faithful readers of this blog will have already studied and memorized that post to avoid further confusion.

The situation, however, it's quite as clear as it was made out to be in that post, because there is not just one plant that carries all those names, there are two. And the difference between the two of them is not insignificant by any means - because one is poisonous if not detoxified and the other is safe to eat in its natural state. Consequently, being able to correct distinguish between the two maniocs is a serious business, as an incorrect choice may be fatal.

Both plants have the same botanical genus - Manihot. The species that carries toxins is Manihot esculenta and that innocuous one is Manihot utilissima. In English, the two species are generally called bitter cassava and sweet cassava, respectively, and in Brazil, the toxic Manihot esculenta is generally known as mandioca and the non-toxic Manihot utilissima is called mandioca doce, macaxeira, or aipim.

The toxic properties of some members of this plant genus were long known to native American populations, who learned how to remove the toxins from the plant before consuming it. Variations of these techniques are still used today worldwide. Whatever treatment is used, the important thing is to remove cyanide from the plant, as ingestion of raw roots or leaves can cause severe and chronic illness, or even death. Toxins are removed naturally from the plant when it undergoes soaking in water, cooking or fermentation. Variations on all three of these techniques are used both at home and in industrial processing.

One of the most intriguing techniques for detoxifying cassava is one that native Indians used for fermenting cassava into a drink. It was described by anthropologist and shamanism scholar Michael J. Harner this way:

The sweet manioc beer (nihamanci or nijiamanchi), is prepared by first peeling and washing the tubers in the stream near the garden. Then the water and manioc are brought to the house, where the tubers are cut up and put in a pot to boil. … The manioc is then mashed and stirred to a soft consistency with the aid of a special wooden paddle. While the woman stirs the mash, she chews handfuls of and spits them back into the pot, a process that may take half an hour or longer. After the mash has been prepared it is transferred to a beer storage jar and left to ferment. … The resultant liquid tastes somewhat like a pleasingly alcoholic buttermilk and is most refreshing. The Jivarosw consider it to be far superior to plain water, which they drink only in emergencies.

This technique of masticating food to initiate fermentation is one used throughout the world from Asia and Africa as far north as the Arctic, where it was known to the Inuit.

In the next post on this blog, I'll provide a traditional recipe for a dish that used cassava leaves, which shows just how much care, effort and time are required to make cassava safe to eat.

Manioc's Many Names

For a long time I have been wanted to post some articles here on Flavors of Brazil about the plant that was the staple food of Brazil's Indians prior to the arrival of Europeans, and which today is still a daily source of nutrition for millions of Brazilians, and billions more residing in tropical areas of the planet. The botanical name for the genus is Manihot, a name derived from the name of the plant in the Tupi language, a native American language spoken in many areas of South America. In Tupi, the plant is called mandioca.

This plant goes by an incredible number of names throughout the world, and much of the taxonomy is confusing, with one name referring to possibly two or more varieties in differing locations, and with countless regional or linguistic variations for the name of one single botanical species. In order to begin to discuss mandioca on this blog, some sense will have to be made out of this linguistic and botanical bowl of spaghetti - some untangling of the plant's many names.

In English, three names are commonly given to the plant - cassava, yuca and manioc (note that cassava is sometimes spelled cassaba or cassada). The second of these names, yuca, is shared with most of the Spanish-speaking cultures of the Americas, such as Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Cuba, and The Dominican Republic. In Brazil, there are rather more than three common names - just to list a few: aipi, aipim, castelinha, macaxeira, mandioca-doce, mandioca-mansa, maniva, maniveira, pão-de-pobre. In Africa and Asia, where the plant is widely consumed, it has many, many more names.

Besides this overabundance of names denominating the plant itself, there are many more for each of the constituent edible parts of the plant - leaves, roots, etc. - and for the products derived from the plant, such as starches, flours, gums, saps. These will all have to be dealt with in due course, but will be left for later postings.

Exotic is in the Eye of the Beholder

Even though I've been living for two years in Brazil, and had been visiting it for many years previously as a tourist, I'm still running across foods and cooking techniques that make me think, "Wow, that's something I've never seen before," or "That's really strange looking (or tasting)." These exotic ingredients are one of the things that keep writing this blog so much fun - researching what they are, how they are used, and where they came from.

This past weekend, I learned a lesson about what is or isn't exotic. It's not that things in one location or another are more or less exotic, it's just that they are more or less different from what one already knows from previous experience. One person's exotic is another's "oh no, not this again!"

On Saturday night, I had a group of Brazilian friends over for appetizers and drinks, a way of entertaining that's very popular here in Brazil. I often try to make dishes that my guests might not be familiar with, as I know that they can easily get Brazilian cooking anywhere, but some other styles of cooking are not really well known here. In preparation for the party, I visited Fortaleza's best greengrocers, called Mercadinho Japonês . It does sell Asian foods but is more of a generalized store for fruits and vegetables. I find it to have the best quality and selection in the city, and I can often find vegetables that aren't available in local supermarkets. I had decided to make a plate of raw vegetables with dips, and at the store I found a nice variety of them.

I prepared the dish when I got home, and had it on the dining table when the guests arrived. I was standing at the table when the first few guests began to sample the vegetables, and was slightly surprised when they asked me what some of the vegetables were, as they had never seen them. I of course knew the names in English but couldn't come up quickly with the names in Portuguese, so I availed myself of my bi-lingual dictionary to find the proper way to translate them into Portuguese. The response was "Oh! I've heard of these (or read about these) but have neven seen them before. I'll have to try them."

And what were these vegetables that my guests found so exotic and strange? Nothing more than these vegetables which are so common in North America that they might be considered boring or "done to death."

The radishes and celery were the talk of the party, and throughout the night guests were discussing them and comparing them to locally-available veggies. Most of the guests seemed to love most of these vegetables, though a few found their flavor to be strong and very assertive.

It just goes to show that anything can be exotic when it's out of its normal geographical range. An interesting lesson to remember.

PS. I forgot to mention the Portuguese terms I discovered for these two vegetables - celery is known as either aipo or salsão and radishes are called rabanetes.

RECIPE - Shrimp with Lime Sauce (Camarão com Molho de Limão)

One more shrimp recipe from Rio Grande do Norte, the land of the shrimp eaters (Potiguars). One of the great things about shrimp is that they cook in a such a short time. This means that when time constraints don't allow a roast or a stew to be considered as a main course, a shrimp dish makes a perfect centerpiece for a dinner whether it's a family meal during the workweek or an elegant dinner party on the weekend. Although shrimp is high in cholesterol, it is also high in protein and very low in fat, so as long as there are no particular concerns about cholesterol consumption, it makes an excellent choice as a meal's main protein.

Like the previous recipe for Shimp with Mango, this dish combines shrimp with fruit - this time lime, which highlights the flavor of the shellfish and adds a refreshing acidity to the dish. I like to add a bit more fresh lime juice to the finished dish just before serving to really make the dish "sing."
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RECIPE - Shrimp with Lime Sauce (Camarão com Molho de Limão)
Serves 4

3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup water
1 small chili pepper (malagueta, serrano, jalapeño), seeded and minced
1 tsp. salt
1 lb (500 gr) ready-to-cook shrimp (de-headed, peeled and deveined)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. annatto powder (sweet paprika can be substituted)
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the lime juice, chopped hot pepper and cold water. Add the shrimp and let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. Drain the shrimp, reserving the soaking liquid.

Put the flour in a large plastic or paper bag, and dredge the shrimp in the flour, a few at a time. Shake the shrimps to remove excess flour and reserve.

Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat, then add the butter and olive oil. Melt the butter, but don't let it brown. Reduce heat to medium. Fry half of the shrimp for one minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, then remove them with a strainer and reserve. Repeat with the second half of the shrimp, frying for one minute then reserving.

Add the soaking liquid to the pan in which the shrimp were fried. Add the annatto powder or paprika and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the parsley, the cilantro, the red pepper and the reserved shrimp. Cook for a few minutes, mixing all ingredients thorough and heating the dish through. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl. (Add 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice and stir again, if desired.)

Serve with white rice and a green salad.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brazileira by Abril Editora

RECIPE - Shrimp with Mango (Camarão com Manga)

This very simple and delicious recipe for shrimp in a mango sauce comes from the northeastern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte. The fruit sauce gives the dish natural sweetness which highlights the sweet flavor of good shrimp. Brazil has many, many varieties of mangoes and not all work well in creating this type of sauce. The recipe calls for Haden (or Hayden) mangoes which are one variety that travels well, and thus is likely to be available in greengrocers and supermarkets in North America and Europe. The variety originated in Florida and is still widely grown there. The Haden mango is a rounded oval shape, and has a yellow color with blushes of red or pink. It is only slightly fibrous (which is why it is good in this recipe) and has a full, sweet flavor. For this recipe, approximately two good-sized mangoes are required.

Haden Mango

Shrimp with mango is easy to make, and additionally requires little cooking time. I think it is best served with plain long-grain white rice and a green salad. It's perfect for lunch, or a light supper, especially in times of hot weather.

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RECIPE - Shrimp with Mango (Camarão com Manga)
Serves 6

2 lbs (1 kg) medium shrimp, with heads and shells, OR
1 1/4 lb (600 gr) cleaned and peeled medium shrimp
1/2 tsp salt
white pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup (3 oz) butter
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1 cup Haden mango flesh, cut into 1 inch (2 cm) cubes
1 cup Haden mango flesh, pureed in blender or food processor
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If using whole shrimp, remove heads shells and tails. Devein the shrimp, then wash in fresh cold water.
If using ready-peeled shrimp, rinse in fresh cold water, changing water once or twice. Drain.

Put the shrimp in a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with half of the lime juice. Mix thorough, then place in refrigerator for up to one hour before cooking.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling but not browned, add the remaining lime juice, the grated ginger and the cubed and pureed mangoes. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the refrigerated shrimps, reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid sticking. Remove from heat.

Put the shrimp and sauce into a serving bowl and serve immediately.


Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brazileira by Abril Editora