38 



IN-STITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY— PUBLICATION NO. 12 



spoonful by spoonful, onto a wet board and left 

 to cool. In all cases, preparation is "by rule of 

 thumb." 



Bananas are the most common fruit used by 

 the families of the community. Oranges are eaten 

 in season. A few other fruits, including papaya, 

 mangoes, pears, and pineapples, are used in rela- 

 tively small quantities (see Gardens and Orchards, 

 p. 68). The use of wild fruits has been referred 

 to elsewhere (see Wild Fruits, p. 34). Home can- 

 ning is unknown. 



The local diet, therefore, is reasonably adequate 

 in protein and carbohydrates. It is somewhat 

 lacking, however, in fats and quite inadequate in 

 minerals and vitamins. 



Among the favorite foods referred to by indi- 

 viduals in the community are bean broth, bean 

 virado,''^ suckling pig, chicken, rice, paca,^ and 

 beef. Roast suckling pig or roast chicken is con- 

 sidered a special delicacy. "There will be roast 

 suckling pig (or roast chicken) today in So-and- 

 so's house" is almost the same as saying, "In So- 

 and-so's house, there will be a festa today." For 

 those who can afford them, either one or the other 

 is indispensable for a wedding dinner. 



Passoca is a dish made of toasted maize flour 

 and ground peanuts, which is much liked by the 

 local inhabitants. The maize flour and the pea- 

 nuts are first toasted separately. The skins are 

 then stripped from the peanuts and they are put, 

 together with the maize flour, into the piJdo ^^ and 

 crushed. When the two ingredients are well 

 mixed, sugar is added and the mass taken out 

 and sifted through a peneira. The passoca is then 

 eaten with cafe, a spoonful of passoca alternating 

 with a sip of cafe, or is taken with bananas. 



At a wedding dinner given for his daughter by 

 the man in the village who has the largest regular 

 income, the following food was served: 



Roast suckling pig (two whole pigs, one of which 



had been boned and stuffed with farofa ") 

 Tortok " of chicken and peas 

 Rice, with glblet gravy 

 Beans tutu."' 



Macaroni, with giblet gravy 

 Lettuce, tomato, and patmito salad 



For dessert, there were cornstarch and gelatin pud- 

 dings, and J)om-hocados?^ Guarand *° and pinga 

 (see p. 39) were served to drink. 



A man in the village who is famed for his skill 

 in cooking occasionally furnished meals for mem- 

 bers of the research staff engaged on this study. 

 On two week ends, these meals consisted of the 

 f ollowins: foods : 



Dinner {Thursday) 

 Beans 

 Kice 



Maize meal 

 Smoked bagre stew 

 Stewed cliicken 

 CaU " 



Dinner (Friday) 

 Macaroni soup with giblets 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Maize meal 

 Lettuce salad 



Dinner (Saturday) 

 Macaroni soup with beef 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Maize meal 

 Bifes " 

 Caf6 



Dinner (Friday) 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Manioc meal 



Stewed chicken with pota- 

 toes 

 Lettuce salad 

 Bread 

 Wine 

 Caf4 



Lunch (Friday) 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Maize meal 

 Capivara (smoked and 



roasted) 

 Smoked bdgre stew 

 Tomato and onion salad 

 Caf(5 



Ltmch (Saturday) 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Maize meal 

 Beef and potato stew 

 Lettuce salad 

 Cafd 



Lunch (Sunday) 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Maize meal 

 Bifes 



Fried eggs 

 Tomato salad 

 Cafd 



Lunch (Saturday) 

 Beans 

 Rice 



Manioc meal 

 Fried eggs 

 Salad of raw cabbage and 



liard-boiled eggs 

 alm6ndegas *" 

 Bread 

 Cafd 



■"• Left over boiled beans reeooked with corn or manioc mea! 

 and lard and seasoned with onions. Sometimes pieces of hard- 

 boiled epjrs are mixed In. 



8» See Wildlife, p. 18. 



*' A wooden mortar. See Dwellings and Furnishings, p. 45. 



** Farofa is toasted maize or manioc meal stirred into melted 

 fat. In this case, the meal was of manioc ; there had also been 

 added olives, peas, and hard-boiled eggs chopped into small pieces, 

 and the whole seasoned with salt, pepper, onions, garlic,, and 

 parsley. 



'" A pastry, similar to pie. 



" Beans cooked with maize meal and seasoned with salt, 

 onions, garlic, and cracklings. 



*° Literally, good mouthfuls : coconut cookies. 



^^ A soft drink made from carbonated water and the seeds of 

 the guarand iuarana, 7iarana), a native plant (PauUinia cupana). 



^^ Black coffee made somewhat differently from that in the 

 LTnitc'd States. See Pinga. Tobacco, and Caf^, p. 39. 



»« This term is applied in Brazil to several different cuts of 

 beef fried like steak. 



*" Meat balls made of beef and bacon. 



