巴西的食物主要是以米饭和豆子为主，来看看巴西的美食吧.....

 

Rob: Hello I’m Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m joined today by my

colleague Grace, who's from Brazil. Hello Grace.

Grace: Hi Rob. It's good to be here. But I hope you don't mind my Brazilian

accent.

Rob: Of course not. Most people have an accent – the important thing is to be

able to communicate… and your accent is charming, Grace! So, you're

going to talk about Brazilian culture?

Grace: Yes, Brazilian food is on the menu today, and we will whet your appetite

with language about food.

Rob: Great! Well, nothing makes me happier than tasty food! And I'm a bit of a

gourmet, you know.

Grace: Well, if you are a gourmet – someone who likes high-quality food – you

will not be disappointed if you go to Brazil. But first, let me put a question

to you.

Rob: OK, I like a challenge.

Grace: Brazil is the biggest coffee producer in the world. According to the

International Coffee Organization, which of these countries is in second

place? Is it…

a) Colombia

b) Indonesia

c) Vietnam

Rob: Yes, all places that produce coffee but I'm going to go for: a) Colombia.

Grace: We’ll find out if you're right or wrong later. Now let’s talk about food.

Rob: Good, yes. I'd like to know: if I go to a Brazilian family's home, what will I

eat? What's the staple food of Brazil?

Grace: The basic food in Brazil – the staple food – is rice and beans. You can

have it with fried eggs, a steak or some salad. But there's a special dish

called 'feijoada'. Thomas Pappon, a Brazilian who blogs about food,

explains what it is. And then, tell me: what kind of dish is this?

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Thomas Pappon, Brazilian food blogger:

There’s a sophisticated version of rice and beans which is served during festivities and in

every restaurant on Saturdays. It's called 'feijoada'. It's a stew made of black beans

and with pieces of pork. The main dish is served with side dishes such as fried greens

and toasted manioc flour. There's no room left for dessert after this!

Rob: It's a stew! I like a good stew – a kind of food in which meat or fish or

vegetables are cooked slowly with just a little bit of liquid. But no

dessert?! I need my dessert, Grace!

Grace: The main dish is quite filling, Rob. You won't need a pudding, sweet or

fruit afterwards. And there are lots of side dishes with it.

Rob: These are small dishes which accompany the main one – and they sound

very appetising too.

Grace: They sound appetising; in other words, it makes you really want to eat

them. And at the end of the meal you wash these dishes down with a

'caipirinha'.

Rob: A caipirinha?

Grace: A very special Brazilian drink. Thomas Pappon can give you the traditional

recipe for it. Listen out for what he does with the lime.

Thomas Pappon, Brazilian gastronomy blogger:

You cut a lime into quarters, put it in a glass with a tablespoon – a generous tablespoon

– of sugar. You break up the lime by pounding and pressing the lime with a wooden

spoon until the sugar is dissolved into the lime juice. Then you add crushed ice, mix it

very well and add – of course – the main ingredient here, 'cachaça' which is a spirit

made of sugar cane. I tell you, be adventurous. Why not experiment with other fruits

like passion fruit, strawberries or kiwis. Some people dilute this cocktail with a bit of

water, but most Brazilians like myself, take it without any water at all.

Grace: There you go. The traditional caipirinha!

Rob: So you break up the lime by pounding it – by hitting or beating it very

hard. I think I can do that.

Grace: Yes. And, a surprise for you, Rob, I don't have a caipirinha here but I

brought a bit of Brazilian cachaça in this little cup. I brought the bottle

from my native Sao Paulo. It's a spirit – a strong alcoholic drink – so be

careful with it.

Rob: I'll have a little sip first time, OK.

Grace: Strong, huh?!

Rob: Yes.

Grace: Are you still on your feet?

Rob: Just about, just about.

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Grace: Good, well let me tell you the answer to the question from the beginning

of the programme. Brazil is the biggest coffee producer in the world. I

asked which of these countries is in second position. Is it… Colombia,

Indonesia or Vietnam?

Rob: And I said Colombia.

Grace: Well, Rob, I'm afraid it's not right. The correct answer is: c) Vietnam. The

other two countries, they are really great producers of coffee as you know

but Brazil has been consistently the biggest producer and Vietnam has

kept the second place, with roughly half of what Brazil produces. The main

types of coffee exported are Arabica and Robusta. Good strong coffee,

Rob!

Rob: Indeed. Sounds good.

Grace: Talking about coffee makes me want a cafezinho, which is a good strong

coffee in a small cup as we have in Brazil. And you might need one after

the cachaça, Rob.

Rob: I might, indeed.

Grace: But first let's recall the words we heard today:

Rob: OK, we heard:

gourmet

staple food

stew

side dish

dessert

appetising

pounding

spirit

Grace: Thanks, Rob. Now, shall we go and have our cafezinho?

Rob: Well, actually, I'd like some more cachaça, if that's possible? Please join

us soon again for more 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Both: Saúde! (Cheers!) Bye.