The North-American Invasion!

As a blonde-haired, blue-eyed individual here in Recife, I tend to stand out.  When I ask people to describe a "typical" Recifian, 95% of the responses come back as "misturado" (mixed).  It's pretty accurate, based on my observations.  Recife, unlike São Paulo, Rio and Salvador, is not a tourist attraction, and there is little international business (the soon-to-be-ex-president Lula da Silva, a native of Recife's state, Pernambuco, invested in development of the northeast, predominantly in ports and natural resources, so most business is local to national).

When people guess where I'm from (I've gotten everything from Italian and Mexican to Dutch and French) and discover I'm "American", there is sometimes an awkward pause.  I know what they're thinking in this brief silence; Capitalism, imperialism, consumerism, and Fast Food.  Here, I am the face that they link to McDonalds, which has been popping up on street corners and in malls.  I am from that country which brought "besteira" (junk food, in this translation) to their quaint kiosks, which were once only stocked with homemade coxinhas, empanadas, and agua de coco.  I am coca-cola, and Americans are sandwich-loving individuals who are slowly destroying the home-cooked Brazilian food.

At first, I was extremely irritated with the close-mindedness that Brazilians project about their cuisine.  They like feijão, tapioca, charque, carne-de-sol, and in Recife, Brazilian food has remained quite intact, due to the lack of international traffic, as mentioned above.  But here's the thing, the glitch that I think irritates even Brazilians; people like coca-cola, doritos, and hamburgers! (imagine that!)  I work in a kiosk next to a bus stop, so I see what people order.  Rarely do I receive requests for juice, coxinha, or the Brazilian staples.  The most popular items sold are; Water (logical due to the heat), coke in various sizes (always with a straw), doritos or cheetos, and Halls (which in Brazil is eaten as a candy, not simply as a losange).

The food posts within the university have signs which read "Xburger, R$2,50 com suco ou coca-cola!".  The modification of cheese to x (pronounced "sheesh") is not only funny, to me, but it marks something important about cultural shifts in eating habits.  When there is a high demand or use of a foreign word, it becomes integrated into the language, modified with a different spelling which facilitates its use.  So, cheeseburgers are popular, it's safe to say.  Of course, they have been "brazilified" in the range of toppings, as have hot dogs, but the basis is the same (you can also order the standard version which is classified as "American").

Globalization is a process which is inevitable, and the message of this blog is this; yes, the American fast-food has penetrated Brazil, but while Recifians may smack talk, they're the ones who are spending their reais to keep it around.  Also, the lifestyle of Brazilians is becoming more "American", or simply more first-world capitalist economy in general.  They are growing their economy and their waistbands and slowly turning into a global competitor.  I think that what we see here, with the growing popularity of hamburgers, milkshakes, and hot dogs, is a shift towards convenience.  People work more, students study all day at the university and can't go home for lunch (the most important meal of the day), so they grab a quick bite.  Similar in thought to their neighbors to the north. 

I find periods of transition to be the most interesting times to travel.  The presidential elections are today, and there is a buzz to see if it will be Dilma Rousseff, the predecessor to Lula, who will keep Brazil ever changing; a concept which Recifians seem to have a love-hate relationship with... well, at least when it comes to their food.

And whatever you do, Americans traveling to Brazil; don't ask where you can find a sandwich.

Music and Macarrão

As part of my study abroad experience, I've been teaching English as a volunteer to members of the City Youth Orchestra of Coque (Orquestra Criança Cidadã) every Saturday afternoon. In addition, I worked with some of my students to learn about their neighborhood and create an anthropological photo album of Coque. During the experience, I learned a great deal about my students, their values, and, of course, their favorite foods. Coque is a neighborhood of Recife located on the island of Joana Bezerra. Located between the luxurious Boa Viagem and the economic center of the city, the favela (slum) marks the rapid urbanization which is still occuring under the title of "development" and "progress". Residents of Coque are frequently being relocated due to the construction of high rise condominiums, often receiving much less economic support than they deserve.

For three years now, Orquestra Criança Cidadã has selected talented youth residents of Coque and provided music training, educational reinforcement, and basic information technology. The orchestra is housed in the army base of Coque and all daily meals are provided to students.

When I accompanied my students on a tour of Coque, they invited me to dinner with them. My first question, of course, was "what are we eating?" to which they responded, "Oh, 'Normal' food" (Yes!) Normal food in Brazil consists of meat or poultry, beans, rice, and pasta (macarrão).

The author dining with students

Dinner at the army base includes food and fun

As I was talking with the students, I asked all the members of our dinner party what their favorite food was, and here's what I came up with;

• Lasanha - Four of the twelve interviewed cited the cheesy Italian pasta as their favorite food. Here in Brazil, pasta or rice accompany nearly every lunch plate, so the popularity of this dish is pretty understandable. Also, after 1850, there was a wave of Italian immigrants (part of the "whiteification" of the country to counter the high black population resulting from the slave trade) who settled in Southern and Southeastern Brazil. Today, Italian-Brazilians are estimated to be the fourth largest population in the country, and their influence is evident in both language and cuisine.

• Pizza - Three students declared pizza pie as their favorite food. It's difficult to say whether the presence of pizza is due to Italian immigration (similar to lasagna) or globalization-Americanization. The pizza here in Recife has been tailored to the palates of Brazilians, with flavors such as lombo (ham), catupiry e frango (a creamy regional cheese with chicken, a very popular flavor combination here in the northeast), and linguiça com azeitona (sausage with black olives). Alterations in food demonstrate the constant internationalization which is occurring, and how different cultures adapt. Here, Recife natives enjoy pizza, with their own seasonings.

• "Hamburger", "Coca-cola", "Milkshake" - These three students cited their favorite foods in these words, no translation. Talk about globalization in the works! Coca-cola and Milkshakes can't really undergo much change, no matter what culture they belong to. Here in Recife, McDonald's has establishments which only serve ice-cream cones, blizzards, milkshakes, and coca-cola. I find that a rather interesting adaptation. Milkshakes are relatively pricey for a local budget, and both milkshakes and coca-cola demonstrate that the consumer has money to spend. Hamburgers are a popular street food here, available in lunch kiosks. If you order a burger with "everything", you'll get; corn, peas, shoe-string potatoes, and tomatoes on top. Ketchup and mayo packets are always included with the plate as well. Mustard is nearly non-existant, and considered strange.

• Churrasco, Galinha - Only two students cited traditional Brazilian food as their favorite. Churrasco consists of skewers of grilled, boneless meat. The meat served up ranges from chicken hearts to linguiça to carne de sol, a regional speciality. A street food favorite, churrasco is a popular dinner food, most often accompanied by a beer and some farofa. Galinha, literally "chicken", can be anything from roasted chicken (galeto) to chicken soup. On Sunday afternoons, vendors haul out their grills and serve up galinha to hungry passerbys.

• Torta de chocolate - The only dessert to make the menu, chocolate cake was Antonino's favorite food. He told me that his mom makes the best that he's ever had (awww).

The orchestra students are unique from other Recife residents because of their economic status, daily exposure to both violence and strong community ties, and the opportunity they have to change their lives through music. The community project provides them not only with music and educational support; every night dinner is served up with some healthy conversation.