Christmas is a special date, whether in Portugal or Brazil. A key difference is the climate. While here the temperatures are winter, in Brazil it is the height of summer, a period that combines with parties and outdoor dining.
In Portugal, supper is usually more intimate and, as a rule, indoors, so no one freezes, of course. However, the flavors can be similar. With an increasing supply of Brazilian products available even in Portuguese markets, It’s easy to make a Brazilian-style Christmas dinner, with salpicão, roasted poultry and, of course, farofa.
As the newspaper has already shown in a report published this week, Brazilian markets record high demand for typical supper products. The best-selling items are chocotones, pepperoni and various types of flour for farofa.
O DN Brasil spoke with some readers about what will be on the table on the night of the 24th and also at lunch on the 25th. maintain the Brazilian tradition, others have already exchanged the flavors of Brazil for those of Portugal, while some people make a mix the “best of both worlds”, to quote a Portuguese saying.
Patrícia Ellen Spetch, who has lived with her family in Portugal since last year, will have a Portuguese supper and a Brazilian lunch. On the night of the 24th December, the main dish will be cod with cream and pastel de Belém. On the 25th, the family will spend lunch in Figueira da Foz, at their cousins’ house. The menu will have mayonnaise, roast turkey, shrimp casserole and red fruit cheesecake for dessert.
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Viviane Rodrigues, who has lived in Cascais for three and a half years, will have a mixed supper: cod with cream, rice with raisins and panettone, the family’s Brazilian touch. “May the magic of Christmas be in every small action, transforming simple moments into happy memories, uniting hearts and remaining throughout the year”, he leaves as a message.
Brazilian Valéria Gurgel, who has lived in Portugal for six years, says that the main thing of the night will be “lots of love”. She will meet at the house of a friend from Minas Gerais, married to a Portuguese man. The result will be a supper “with Brazilian and Portuguese foods”, in Barreiro. Valéria is not the only guest. “Brazilians from Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Ceará will also be present”, and there will be an exchange of gifts.
The “Reset Family”, which shares their daily life in Portugal on Instagram, will have a table with “cheese, French toast, bread and cod cakes”. Reader Mariana Costa doesn’t give up on tradition: farofa and salpicão will be among the recipes of the night. “Very Brazilian, always”he tells the newspaper. There are those who also find unity in faith. Ailton Ribeiro will spend the night in a church and reports that the most important thing about the date is love.
Merry Christmas everyone!
amanda.lima@dn.pt