The Farofa Diaries

Well, you may be wondering what the hell

"The Farofa Diaries"

is/are (as it is only one diary starting now, but
potentially more in the future) all about.

So I guess I should begin by explaining what farofa actually is.

Children
enjoying
farofa

Wikipedia tells us:

Farofa is a dish of wildly varying flavors consumed in South America, most especially in Brazil. It can be found commercially produced and packaged in most South American markets but is often prepared at home based on family recipes. The key ingredient of all Farofas is either toasted manioc (also known as mandioca, macaxeira, macaxera, cassava, yucca, or tapioca) flour or maize flour (farinha de milho) . Most recipes will also contain varying amounts of salt, smoked meat, and spices. The consistency of the mixture also ranges from large grains the size of cracked bulgur wheat or couscous, down to a table-salt-sized powder. Most farofas have a very smoky and slightly salty taste, by and large used to accentuate the taste of meat, particularly barbecued meat, and the hearty stews.
In Brazil, where farofa is particularly popular, typical recipes call for raw manioc flour to be toasted with butter, salt, and bacon, until golden brown. Also in Brazil, farofa is also used to stuff poultry and other dishes, usually containing raisin, nuts and/or finely chopped sweet fruit like apple and banana. Brazilians will also use the word farofa to mean Streusel.
Farofa is served alongside the main course and can either be sprinkled on by individual diners to their taste before eating, or eaten as an accompaniment in its own right, as rice is often consumed.

What Wikipedia fails to mention is the uncanny resemblance of farofa to
sand! It is the same colour, same consistency and the same flavour as sand, yet it is a Brazilian staple.

First time I tried it I actually thought that the Brazilians were crazy (more on this at a later date). When I actually was convinced that it was in fact food I decided to give it a go... I am still convinced it is sand!

Sand

I have given it lots of tries and have actually managed to sample an acceptable version! In the main, farofa is salty, gritty and generally not very nice.
But as I mentioned before, it is a Brazilian staple, which can get a bit frustrating after a while... In fact the typical Brazilian diet consists of arroz, feijão, farofa e carne (rice, beans, farofa and meat) and is pretty much what you will expect to see at every meal. (I'll tell you more about feijoada another day)

For anyone who happens to be reading this and wondering why I am getting a bit uppity about all of this, it is because I am currently residing in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (Brasil in Brasil, Brazil everywhere else), with my Brazilian girlfriend... "Not a bad thing" you may be thinking, and you would be correct, but the diet here is so dull!

Well, anyway, I guess I should also mention I am currently about half way (in time) through an around the world trip...

Meat and two veg.

Are we that dull at home? Do we just do the same? Probably as a stereotypical nation the answer is yes. In England I guess we have a habit of eating potato in some form with most meals, in fact here in Brazil a jacket potato is called Batata Inglesa

But the exciting thing is I have now found out where I can find good fresh ingredients to help expand Suzi(my girlfriend)'s palette and keep my taste buds from going on strike! It seems to be working at the moment.

I have to cook myself (no I don't sit in cauldrons!) which means I now cook every night. It also means I have to visit several different supermarkets to actually get the ingredients I need so usually shopping takes me about an hour... or more. but then I do like to procrastinate a lot!

Ok, so you now know what farofa is (although you will never understand truly until you try it), back to what you that first thought...

So...

What the hell is/are "The Farofa Diaries"?


Is it a Diary?
Is it a cookery book?
Is it the ramblings of a strange man finding his way through this world?

I don't really know yet, but it is my aim to give a little insight into other lands through my experiences, in a place I now call my home...

a place known as the World

Things to talk about at a later date...
Rodizio
Churrasco
Feijoada
Cachoeiras
Praia
Tangas
Sungas
Nudity
Biquini Cavadão
Seu Jorge
Ana Carolina
Ronaldo/Ronaldinho