The origin of feijoada

Feijoada, which in Spanish has a literal translation of “bean stew”, is one of the emblematic dishes of Brazilian cuisine, which is obviously a dish with beans, complemented with generally dried pork meat.Like many other national dishes around the world, feijoada was meant to make use of leftover pork; today, it is such a famous and recognized meal that it has become more of a gourmet dish.Its origin comes from Europe, specifically from Portugal, and the fusion of cultures that took place. Among its earliest appearances in gastronomic texts, one can mention the book by Luís da Câmara Cascudo titled História da Alimentação no Brasil (History of Food in Brazil), which discusses the origins of feijoada.Thus, the origin of feijoada is also linked to slavery, and it is said that these African slaves brought by the Portuguese to Brazil, forced to serve them, would collect what was left over from the feasts and mix it with black beans. This resulted in something like the first version of feijoada.Since its ingredients are few, common in Brazil, and its preparation is simple, feijoada is also an economical dish, which today is still widely consumed by Brazilians, but for them, the traditional days to eat it are usually Wednesdays and Saturdays, as those days are always featured on restaurant menus or at family gatherings.Have you tried feijoada? You can prepare it at home with our recipe if it has piqued your curiosity and let us know how you liked it or if you know more about its origin in the comments.