Feijoada on Wednesday

In my recent postings I realize I've been neglecting one of my preferred cultural manifestations: food. Rest assured that this isn't for lack of eating! Today, for example, was my second encounter with feijoada, Brazil's signature dish. Though varying by region, this meal centers around a stew of black beans and meat (usually salt pork ribs and sausage), and is accompanied by rice and other side dishes like couve (collard greens), farofa (toasted and seasoned manioc flour), fried pork fat, and even fried banana. Feijoada is serious eating.

I learned today that feijoada is typically served in restaurants on Wednesday (at least in the Sao Paulo region) and that no self-respecting Brazilian restaurant would dream of excluding it from the menu. Which is how today, after Portuguese class, I found myself ordering a "feijoada medio" (half portion) and a lime juice. When it arrived I wondered what on earth I had committed myself to. The earthenware pot of beans was still boiling, chalk full of pork. The couve was perfectly sauteed with garlic. I ate and ate, but barely made it through half of it. Lucky for me, two of my classmates had joined me and generously offered to help me finish the dish. I'm not sure how anyone makes it back to work after a meal like that, but it sure was tasty.