Regional Identity Expressed Through Rio's Gastronomy

Regional Identity Expressed Through Rio's Gastronomy

A common juice place in Rio which can be found in many corners of the marvelous city.

"When experiencing new local cuisines, we are also experiencing a new culture."-Hjalager 38

One of my favorite things to do in a new country is to try its cuisine and specially local cuisine. Born and raised in Colombia, I have experience first hand that flavor change and even though a dish may look similar in the US my tastes buds will know that something is missing. Dishes may be copied but not flavor and neither the culture behind eating the dish. Whether a dish is made to be share with family or whether it has an emotional link, people must experienced it in the homeland because gastronomy is not only food it is culture. Food reflects the sophistication and complexity of a society and that is why Gastronomy is considered part of an intangible heritage.

According to the scholar article Tourism and Gastronomy by Hjalager 37-43, whose research used the Maslow's hierarchy of needs to relate the motivational needs and social components where food present a key role. Stating that food is experience through sight, taste and smell and pointing out that building a strong identity in an increasingly look-alike world, food with a strong national and regional identity can become a vehicle to achieving uniqueness.

Trying different types of feijoãda from restaurants
to homemade, but the best feijoãda was made at
 Dr. Vianna's house.

UNESCO recognized that culinary traditions are a cultural expression as fundamental to identity and worthy of recognition as dance, theatre, or music. 

Rio's gastronomy is rich in spices, strong flavors, rice and feijoãda, national dish of black beans and pork stew. Also, the variety of delight cakes, jellies, fruits, breads, and snacks such as Pão de queijo a popular snack made from yucca flour, cheese and eggs made the culinary in Brazil unique.

Food is indeed an important part of Rio's culture and the most authentic way to eat it is sitting down and sharing meals on the table with family and friends. In contrast to the US which lifestyle lead to eat out often. Cariocas still has the communal dinning as norm. The notion of making home made food and sharing it with the family or friends in a table has become the building of social relations and strengthen social bonds which created a sense of community in Rio. 

"Sociologist have therefore argued that the meal in domestic life can articulate not only the identity of the 'family' and 'the home' but also gender roles, identities and power relations between different members of the household."- Bell and Valentine (1997:75)

Eating in the table with the crew

Informal Vendors on the beach of Copacabana (Image from Gettyimages)

RESTAURANTS AND THE INFORMAL

Being in Rio for two weeks, I noticed that there was a lot of per kilo buffet restaurants. The restaurant charge a person depending on the weight of the dish. It is really common to find because these restaurants are in every corner of Rio. The payment system of these restaurants are pretty similar which consist on a paper given in the entrance which will be use to write the price. The paper will be stamp when ones pay and must be given to the the waitress at exit. 

In Rio particularly you can find a lot of kiosk and informal vendors selling on the beach ceviche, grilled shrimp, coconut water and Caipirinhas; to establishments selling salgados, and açaí, a sweet thick purple juice made from the Açaí berry.

Popular salgados

According to Richards, gastronomy is changing perceptions of the nature of cultural heritage. Over the years cultural heritage has been link to the physical remains of culture represented by museums and monuments. However, recent views have included a broader vision of cultural heritage which also include the living culture.

The food in the marvelous city has a story to tell, a history to present and contributes to the economy and employment of the city. Rio's gastronomy contributed to a strong image with the attractiveness formed exclusive to the region. We are what we eat and gastronomy in Rio is as important as any museum and represents and expresses the identity of the region.

For more Information:

The Role of Gastronomy in Tourism Development/Greg Richards/ Tilburg University/ November 2014

Discovering Rio Through Its Gastronomic Scene: Sponsored/ Contributer Reporter/ March 2015

Tourism and Gastronomy/ Anne-Mette Hjalager, Department of Leisure Studies Greg Richards, Greg Richards/ August 2003
The Ultimate Brazilian Food Guide/Gareth/ August 2014

Notes:
"Salgados" is fried or baked snacks filled with chicken, meat, ham or cheese. Salgados can be find anywhere in Brazil from restaurants to street vendors.
"Carioca" a native of Rio de Janeiro.