Report on a Brazilian churrasco
The art to receive in Brazilian style
Paulo
Seidl
November, 2015
Master en Histoire et Culture de l'Alimentation
Université François Rabelais
Introduction
The objective of this article is to offer a succinct
ethnographic observation of a typical Brazilian gastronomic festive event known
as churrasco, or the Brazilian-style barbecue
party. It attempts to provide, in the most metaphorical sense, food for thought for a perhaps deeper sociological
analysis of food consumption in Brazil (1). Because of my current studies in
France, comparisons with French customs at the table have been made.
When a party is given in the country, a number
of possibilities arise in terms of how the reception is going to be held. Some
of the choices include a cocktail, a dinner, or a luncheon. But perhaps nothing
entertains more and nothing is more casual and more universal within our own
boundaries than the churrasco. Strictly for didactic purposes, the
description below will be divided in topics.
Food
There is an overall tacit agreement that the churrasco is potluck. That put, guests
and hosts usually agree on what each will provide, but inevitably involves the
bringing of drinks for the cooler (beer and soft drinks) and food for the grill.
Commonly, the host will provide the ‘main meat’ and the guests will be
concerned with the side dishes, starters or dessert.
While in France there is a clear distinction
between the order of courses, from hors
d’oeuvres to starters to the main course and dessert, in a churrasco those courses happen in a more
haphazard way. Hors d’oeuvres will
usually include ready to eat finger food, such as peanuts, olives or chips. Following,
hot starters will usually include food that is quickly made on the grill, such
as sausages, garlic bread, grilled vegetables or grilled cheese (hence a clear
difference from a French meal, where cheese is served at the end).
A few dishes rich in carbohydrates will always
be on the table, to which guests help themselves whenever they please. These comprise
white rice, boiled manioc with butter and or herbs, and manioc meal or farofa (roasted manioc meal with or
without small pieces of meat). It is not unusual for all those items to be present on the table. Other side dishes may include
beans, raw or cooked salads, and sauces.
The ‘main meat’ (3) is normally the main
course, hardly a course in itself. The reason for this is, as opposed to the
regularity of French courses, guests may help themselves to starters even after
they have started eating the main meat, creating a ‘gastronomic promiscuity’
when compared to the rigidity with which French courses are served. Depending on the number of guests, more than
one main meat may be served. They are usually beef cuts, but pork or chicken may
also be served. Here a clear social distinction may be observed: there is
substantial more social esteem in serving beef than chicken or pork. A barbecue
with no beef may be regarded as a second class type of gastronomic event.
Equally, a barbecue with prime beef cuts will give the host a more elevated
social distinction.
Desserts do not have a place of honor in barbecue
parties. If a birthday celebration is taking place, a cake will be served, but
usually ice cream and fruit are the most common choices for dessert. Coffee
will inevitably be prepared, and in the south of the country a bowl of mate (chimarrão) will pass hand to hand.
Tasks
The making of the fire and the
grilling of the meats are usually the duties of the (male) host (2). This includes
the mise en place of the meat,
which is exclusively marinated in rock salt, the keeping of the fire, and the turning
of the meats, whether they are placed on the grill or put through spears, which
are hung horizontally over the fire. Guests may help in the process, but the
host is responsible for the overall cooking.
In the event that the host does not master the skills of the fire, a
guest may be invited to handle it, or the service may be outsourced to a paid
professional in larger events.
The tasks of the hostess usually include the
preparation of the side dishes and the setting of the table, which involves
constant trips to the interior of the house, considering that the party will
inevitably take place outdoors. The table is usually set in American style,
with plates, glasses, and napkins piled up and tableware gathered in a small
basket. Paper cups and plates are not usually accepted, except in very large
events. With the exception of napkins, the use of disposable utensils may be
frowned upon. A table cloth must always
be used.
If there
is no cooler in the meal area, more trips to the inside of the residence will
be necessary, and every member of the party will take turns to fetch a cold
beer. On a side note, it is important to keep in mind that Brazilians drink
their beers very cold, pilsner and lager being the preferred types, so it must always be refrigerated.
The fetcher of the beer must also verify that no beer in the freezer is getting
to the point of freezing. The fetcher should also rearrange the beer so that it
will always be served in the right temperature. This is extremely important in
Brazilian culture: serving beer at the right temperature is an intrinsic part
of the art of well receiving.
Doing the cleaning at the end of the party,
which may last several hours, will depend on the level of intimacy that the host
and the guests share. Naturally, the closer they are, the more likely
solidarity will occur.
During the meal – conversation topics and other
comments
It is well worth noticing that churrascos are a social gathering and
will unavoidably include a large party and a number of guests. It is rather
unusual for a family to make a churrasco
only for themselves.
As mentioned before, the meal may last several
hours, from early afternoon to sometimes early evening. The conversation topics
will vary, but will likely include politics, soccer, current affairs, and
social issues. As participants go on drinking alcohol, discussions may tend to
get heated.
Unlike the French, Brazilians will get up
several times from the table for a variety of reasons, either to have a smoke
or a splash in the pool if there is one. Hosts and guests take turn to fetch
items from the indoors kitchen.
The locale of the meal is usually a covered but
open area where a fixed structure is set up with a grill and a chimney. It is
ordinary for a family to have this type of structure built in the backyard of
their residence, which has the name of churrasqueira.
Apartment buildings may have a common area either on the ground floor or on the
penthouse, which must be reserved in advance. Low income families who cannot
afford or do not have space for a churrasqueira will improvise one with most varied
creativity, such as a truck wheel with a grill on a top, a temporary structure
with loose bricks, or a cut barrel with iron legs (see pictures in Annex I).
Conclusion
It may be said that the French and the
Brazilian share the spirit of conviviality around a table with a variety of
quality food. Equally, they enjoy receiving and doors are often open to host
parties where a substantial amount of food and drink is consumed along a period
that may last several hours.
However, the order in which courses are served
are different in the two cultures. While in France rigidity in the sequence of
courses is observed, in Brazil courses go back and forth from the grill to the
table and side dishes are available throughout the meal. Brazilians do not seem
to talk about food while eating, for they are more likely to discuss a variety
of topics. The French will be seated from the beginning to the end of the meal,
except for the person doing the serving, whereas Brazilians will be more likely
to get up from the table a number of times.
(1) For a sociological view on churrascos, see Maciel, M. (2008). Churrasco à Gaúcha. In Montebello, N. and
Collaço, J. (Eds). Gastronomia: cortes
& recortes volume II (pp. 97-118). Editora Senac, Brasilia.
(2) The term ‘main meat’ is my creation.
Although the concept is well established, there is actually no word or phrase to
describe it.
(3) For a description on the male role
in roasting meats, see Perlès, C. (1996). Les strategies
alimentaires dans les temps pré-historique. In Flandrin, J. and Montanari, M. Histoire de l’alimentation (pp 54-67). Paris: Fayard.
Annex I – Pictures
Churrasqueira of an upper-middle class family
Improvised churrasqueira
of a low-income church
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