For a long time there has been a widespread belief that Beans and pork it was a dish genuinely belonging to Brazilian cuisine. And more than that: there was a narrative, articulated from this belief, which said that feijoada was a type of cuisine developed exclusively in the slave quarters.
This narrative also added that, in the absence of more consistent and quality food, slaves produced a kind of stew, whose base was black beans, in which they introduced the remains of animal meat – in particular, the pork –, such as viscera, ears, muzzle, etc. To give more consistency to the stew, the slaves also added some vegetables, greens and leaves, such as cabbage.
However, some researchers who have focused on the history of food in Brazil, such as Carlos Augusto Didati, challenged this version of the history of feijoada. In addition to providing an indication that feijoada, or the type of stew that uses beans, meat and other ingredients, was already a widely consumed dish in southern Europe, including Iberian countries such as Portugal, these researchers also pointed to the fact that the nutrition of slaves in Brazil could not be precarious, as it was asserted. once.
In addition, the main elements of the slaves' diet were corn (from which various dishes were obtained, including angu), cassava, various types of vegetables and beans, which were, strictly speaking, only seasoned with salt and fat and with a rare presence of meat added to its cooking.
The most recent historical research indicates that a dish like feijoada could only be, in fact, prepared and consumed by those with more affluent social conditions and a better culinary repertoire broad; probably, people who attended the court in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This dish, by the way, was advertised in restaurants always with an allusion that it already existed outside the country, therefore, “our feijoada” was an adapted dish, as can be seen in this 1849 Jornal do Comércio advertisement. title is Brazilian Feijoada:
“In the pasture house next to the Fama do Café com Leite tavern, it has been determined that every week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there will be a beautiful feijoada, at the request of many customers. In the same house, they continue to give out lunches, dinners and suppers, as clean as possible, and every day there is variety in the food. At night there is good fish for supper.” (Journal of Commerce, January 5, 1849.)
These clarifications about the history of feijoada do not mean, however, that it is not one of the dishes typical of Brazil, as it has become one of the most appreciated among the Brazilian people, whatever the class Social. These clarifications only say that feijoada is not a genuine dish, that is, fully and exclusively developed here in Brazil.
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes
