BBC 6 minute English-Brazilian food

Transcript of the podcast

NB: This is not a word for word transcript

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

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

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