Bemvindo ao Recife

Welcome to Recife, the rapidly developing capital of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The northeast is a region which many natives describe as "poor", "developing" and "uma mistura" (a mix) of social and economic classes, people, and traditions. Recife and its neighbor, Olinda, are cities which are constantly in a state of change. Colonized by the Portuguese in 1534, the region prospered in sugarcane and Brazilian wood (pau-brazil) production. Olinda served as the first capital of Brazil, back when Recife was a mere town (these days things have reversed), and the city attracted the attention of the Dutch, who in 1630 invaded, under the command of Mauricio de Nassau. The infrastructure established by the Portuguese was completely demolished, and the Dutch built a new city from the ground up. Today, their influence appears in the architecture (most prominent in Olinda) which is scattered throughout older neighborhoods of Recife and Olinda. Twenty four years later, in 1654, the Dutch were expelled from Recife, leaving it in control of the Portuguese, who brought with them slave labor from Africa to harvest sugar cane, turning the city into a prospering port. From 1532-1888, Brazil imported around 3, 600,000 slaves from the occidental coast, Cape Vert, Cape of Good Hope, Mozambique, and some interior regions of the continent. The slaves brought with them traditions which have flourished in Brazil, being adopted as "national" symbols; The dance and music of Samba, Capoiera; a form of stylized martial arts, the religions of Candomble and Umbanda, and cooking. The cuisine of Recife and Olinda reflects the various settlers (voluntary and involuntary) who have penetrated the region and, like the city itself, the food and recipes are constantly changing.