Churrascos and chimarrão

My latest barbecue spree took me far beyond the five boroughs – to Brazil! Arguably the meat mecca of the Western hemisphere. No question, the Brazilians I encountered have perfected the art of the churrasco (a Brazilian barbecue), which is unsurprising since these events happen there almost every weekend.

I was in the southern town of Canoinhas not too far from the exotic beaches of Florianopolis or gaucho territory of Rio Grande do Sul. I stayed for two weeks visiting my sister Michelle and her beautiful family, and my sister Lori also made the trek from North Carolina.

Per local custom, they threw a huge churrasco party at the neighborhood tennis club to celebrate our visit, where we were offered an array of delicious food, live music and a never-ending supply of caipirinhas.

About 60 of Michelle and her husband Curtis’s friends showed up. We were first served a sampling of chicken, sausage and turkey heart. It was the first time I’d tried turkey heart, and I wasn’t a big fan. It’s hugely popular there, but even after getting past the strange thought of eating a heart, the meat was rubbery and the taste not very flavorful in my opinion. But the sausage was to die for – succulent and slightly spicy.

Then came the main course, a full buffet spread of beef, chicken, sweet rice, potato salad, veggies, fruit salad and pickled onions. Waitors circulated, rodízio-style, serving fresh cuts of meat to those who appeared to be running low. The grand finale was a cake topped with tropical fruit and some kind of creamcheesy frosting.

For entertainment, my niece Trinity played her violin and then a band played traditional Brazilian country music. The band members were from a family of 11 who rotated playing guitar and singing.

All the things I’d heard about Brazilians being hospitable and big-hearted was true. I got to know many of Michelle and Curtis’s friends, and it was a diverse group. Some have lived in Canoinhas their whole lives without leaving, and they also have American friends who work with Curtis and travel all over. About half the people I met spoke English, and with the others I could usually get by speaking “portuñol” – a mix of Spanish and Portuguese.

There, people never eat with their hands (even with sandwiches, they’ll use a knife and fork or pick it up with a napkin) and rarely drink directly out of a bottle. Beer especially is always served with an ice cold mug and for them, the more foam the better.

Other highlights from the trip included trying capoeira (a form of martial art that incorporates dance and music) and being sore for days after; a spa excursion with the girls; a night of drinks and dancing at the local club; visiting the museum and Easter bunny house in Tres Barras; a drive through the country to check out the nearby Steinhaeger (gin) factory; and lots of sunbathing and poolside reading.

There’s a lot more I could say about the local cuisine – about the amazing selection of tropical fruits and juices, or the way hot dog vendors prepare their franks with peas, corn, mayo and potato chips – but I’ll close by talking about a special kind of green tea that I fell in love with there, called chimarrão. Canoinhas is well known for its chimarrão, which is a social drink that people often share when they get together. It’s made by putting loose erva mate (tea) in a cup, adding hot water, and drinking it out of a filtered straw. It’s slightly bitter, but people will sometimes add different flavored spices or teas, like chamomile, to the erva mate. I saw people drinking it everywhere, even at the spa and pool.

Here I am with Trinity in front of a statue of a chimarrão cup in the center of town.