Anyone for a kilo?

Well I am now in a different place altogether from when I last posted an update and I am also no longer in Brasilia! I will write some other time on Brasilia and Belo Horizonte at some other point but I really wanted to write about food today.

So this blog is especially dedicated to Rich (who I know adores food) and also to my Dad who only ever seems to remember places by the meal he had there, which in my mind is the best way to recall things anyway!!

So let me begin with the words for food which actually throw me quite a lot as the name gives NO hint as to what the food might be and to boot I find it really hard to pronounce most things such as acaraje. The joy about Brazil is that it is such a mixed culture that indigenous words of the Indians have been introduced into the language as well as African words of course. BUT it doesn´t stop there as in most restaurants and supermarkets you can get sushi, this is bacause outside of Japan the largest number of Japanese people live in Brazil (predominantly Sao Paulo). Something that is really popular here is fruit juices and boy oh boy do they have a lot of fruit to juice from. I have been trying to try as much variety as i can, one I haven´t tried yet and should really is the fruit of the cashew which is made into a juice. The actual fruit looks beautiful!! And there are many many other fruits unique to the Amazon and the rest of Brazil which have no translation such as bacuri, acai, cupuacu.

The other staple diet is rice and beans - so Rich you would struggle a little I am afraid what with your freaky ´I don´t like beans´ thing - and most places serve food by the kilo - hooray I hear Rich cry :) - actually they give you a set price for a kilo of food and you help yourself to what can be sometimes disappointing but most of the time is a delicious selection of food. You simply take as much or as little as you would like. Apparently food has been served like this for at least 20 years and has become quite popular in Portugal. The best meal I have had so far (and one of the cheapest) was yesterday by the kilo and was just delicious, it cost me with an orange juice just over 2 pounds!!! The other option which I have also tried is paying a set price for a meal and it is eat as much as you like. The men serving wonder about with cooked meat on sticks which they slice for you - my favourite was `fraldinha´ which was the most succulent and tasty beef.....yum!

Anyway today I wandered around the central market of BH and it was wonderful - it really reminded me of my childhood with the smells of the cheeses, the meat, fish and the vegetables. Teh market really had a little of everything including dubiouos looking live poultry (in small cages) and dogs, cats and birds being sold all under one roof.

If I have any other noteworthy meals I will of course let you know - but needless to say I am looking after myself and eating well.

As an additional side note - nice to hear from you Sassa, write me an email to let me know how you are getting on and how your holiday was!

Katy baby - I hope Singapore is rocking and I look forward to hearing all about it and the rest of your trip!!

Tani xxxxx