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.
