Brazil has the largest population in Latin America and ranks fifth in the world. It is currently the fifth largest economy in the world and is home to the Amazon Rainforest and is a popular location for tourism. Most of the 190 million Brazilians live in the south-central area, which includes the cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.

Brazil’s impressive Atlantic Ocean coastline is 4, 655 miles long and it is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Brazil is bordered by Colombia on the northwest and by Bolivia and Peru in the west. Argentina and Paraguay border Brazil in the southwest while Uruguay borders the south. Brazil, amazingly, borders all South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.

Brazil was given to Portugal as part of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494; however the first person to officially claim Brazil for Portugal was Pedro Álvares Cabral. The Portuguese settled Brazil in the 1500’s and it remained a colony for three centuries. The initial settlers were simple people looking to find natural resources to trade. They weren’t as interested in conquering and exploring as the Spanish in other South American colonies. The name Brazil comes from an Amerindian word Brasil, which describes a dark rosewood. This wood became the main export for many years but the exportation of Brasil wood was banned in 1968.

Brazil is rich in natural resources such as iron, tin, aluminum, gold, platinum, copper and coal. Agriculturally rich, Brazil exports coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus and beef. Brazil is culturally rich as well. Many of the European settlers in Brazil intermarried with native Indians and slaves creating a diverse ethnic environment that gives Brazil a vibrant culture to this day.

The food you will discover in Brazil varies from region to region, but the national dish of the country is feijoada. Each Brazilian puts their own touch on this meal, making it their own, making it a perfect national dish for a country with so much diversity.

We could not pass on this dish even though the weather might be too warm for such a hardy meal. It is a very convenient meal and you, like all Brazilians can make feijoada your own by adjusting it to suit your taste. This one dish with many interpretations truly represents one country with many diverse ethnicities.

Feijoada (Found at Celebrate Brazil)
Ingredients

Raw bacon – 3 strips
Onions – 2 small to medium size
Garlic – 3 cloves or you can substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Smoked sausage – 1 pound
Boneless beef – 1 pound
Stewed tomatoes with juice – 14 ounce can
Hot water – 1 cup
Yellow mustard – 1 Tablespoon
Canned black beans with juice – 4 cups
Salt and pepper to taste

Make the stew:

1. Cut the raw bacon strips into large pieces and fry them at medium-high heat setting in a large pot for about 3 minutes. Don’t let them stick to the bottom of the pot.

2. Reduce the heat setting to medium.

3. Dice the onions, peel and chop the garlic, and add both ingredients to the pot with the bacon. Cook until the onions become soft, which is about 3 minutes.

4. Cut the beef and sausage into bite-size pieces and add them to the pot.

5. The meat should be cooked until all sides of the meat are browned.

6. Add the stewed tomatoes and juice, water, mustard, and salt and pepper to your desired taste.

7. Turn the temperature setting down to simmer and cover the pot.

8. Cook the entire stew for about 45 minutes. Stir it often to meld the flavors.

9. Add water if the consistency is too thick for you. Don’t add more than 1/4 cup of water at a time.

10. After the stew has cooked for 45 minutes, add the black beans and juice and stir.

11. Return the cover to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

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