Farofa

Hello! Today we have another delicious Dica for you! We will find out what farofa is, finally! You will also learn how to make your own, by taking a look at two traditional Brazilian farofa recipe we have. And we didn’t forget the farofa ingredients: did you know you can add many things like egg, cassava, and even bacon?

What is it?

Farofa is a popular food in Brazil. It’s made from manioc (cassava) flour and it’s served with meat, rice, barbecued meats, and the famous feijoada. Brazilians love to eat it almost every day, we simply can’t live without it! Because it’s a low-cost, filling, tasty food and easy to prepare, so it’s very common amongst workers. Farofa can be found in industrialized packs, but it is also often prepared at home. Many families have recipes that vary with the region of the country. It’s like comfort food that almost every Brazilian loves (but there are always the crazy ones that don’t like something good, right? hahaha :P)

As we said before, farofa is not the main dish. It is usually served to accompany a meal and it’s the perfect side dish for meat, rice, and beans. As much as Brazilians love eating farofa, many foreigners find it strange. Some say that it feels like you’re eating sand. The texture might seem a little odd for those who are not used to it, but it definitely doesn’t taste like sand! The herbs, spices, butter and even bacon and eggs make a wonderful combination of flavors.

History of Brazilian Farofa

Actually, the origin of farofa from Brazil began before the colonial period. It is probable that farofa appeared among the Tupi-Guarani Indians (a group of native people in Brazil). So, its creation preceded the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese. Gastronomic historians believe that the natives needed to satisfy their hunger with nutritious food. They threw manioc flour in an empty turtle shell and roasted it over the fire. With that, the carapace fat came loose and mixed with the flour. That’s how the Brazilian farofa was born! During colonization, the Portuguese also began to use this mixture for their journeys.

Nowadays, farofa is a type of food that every Brazilian can eat, regardless of their economic status. Yet, is more related to working class people than to the wealthy. It is a Brazilian tradition and part of our cultural heritage.

Sausage and Cassava Farofa Recipe

Everybody has a different recipe for farofa, but today we are going to teach you our favorite one! Are you ready? Let’s go! Don’t forget to go to our Youtube channel, we have other recipes there!

Farofa Ingredients

Method

Melt the butter in a frying pan then fry the garlic and also the onion. After frying them, put the spicy sausage in the frying pan. It will give a special flavor to the food. Add the manioc (cassava) flour to the fried ingredients and wait for it to turn golden. Eat the Farofa while it’s hot.

Egg and Cassava Farofa Recipe

We will also teach you a second recipe! This egg recipe is very famous, particularly in Rio de Janeiro! This is a type of farofa that is highly present in restaurants everywhere in the city! So, let’s learn how to make it!

Farofa Ingredients

Method

Melt the butter in a frying pan then fry the garlic, like in the other recipe. After the garlic becomes golden, add the eggs to the frying pan. Mix the eggs as if you were making scrambled eggs. Add the manioc (cassava) flour to the fried ingredients and wait for it to turn golden. Then it’s ready to eat!

Now you know what traditional cassava farofa is! Which was your favorite, the sausage or the egg farofa? What other Brazilian dishes do you know? That’s it for today! Want to learn more Portuguese Online? Let’s go!

A big hug from the Rio & Learn.

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