Barreado

Barreado

Barreado is a plate typical to the southeast of Brazil. It’s made of cooked meat, served with rice, cassava flour, and often bananas. Its secret lies in the preparation. It must be cooked in a clay pot for about 20 hours and the pot must be sealed with a lid made of a flour-and-water dough.  That causes all of the meat to shred and the fibers to be released resulting a really thick and flavorful broth.

Its origins go back to 300 year old rituals of the Azorian Islands. The Azorian Islands are in the Northeast Atlantic and they’re owned by Portugal. They were the ones who later took the traditional plate to Paraná, Brazil. What’s interesting is that some of the culture was carried along with food.

Some of that culture that influenced Paraná is fandango dancing, a dança dos tamancos (the dance of the sandals), and the playing of the rabeca. Fandango is a very lively couple’s dance from the Baroque period. It’s more commonly known in Spain and Portugal. Rabeca is a wooden musical instrument originally known as Rebab. It comes from Norte Africa and some think it might have been a precursor to the violin.