Desserts (Sobremesas)

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I'm never sure how these pictures are going to stack up, so here goes: The chocolate dessert is called Bolo de Bolacha, or biscuit cake, quite similar to what we know as tiramisu. It is one of the top favorite desserts for Brasilians. The dessert in the bowl is called Sagu de Vinho, which is tapioca pearls in a sea of wine, finished with a dollop of cream. This is probably the most popular dessert in Brasil behind anything chocolate, of course. And the final dessert is Torta de Maracuja, or passionfruit cake. From my experience, these are the three most served desserts on any respectable dessert table in Brasil.

If asked to choose between the desserts here in America and the desserts in Brasil, I'd have to choose Brasil. I am not sure why, honestly, because bakeries in both countries serve up the finest in sweets, but there is something about eating a cake or a cookie made from scratch the old-fashioned way, that beats the quick fixes. The creams used are heavier and reminds one of the old days. Since Southern Brasil is known for its rich European influences, many of the bakeries (confeitarias) offer up some of the finest strudels and tortes I've ever tasted. The only thing that is rare in Brasil are donuts. The closest thing you'll find to donuts is a little fried dough concoction called orelha de porco (oh-rel-ya gee poor-so), or pig ears. They are akin to our fried cake donuts only denser and shaped in a ring resembling an ear. They are good, but have a tendency to be dryer than our American donuts.

There are some differences between American and Brasilian cakes as well. Again, Brasilian cakes tend to be denser and dryer than American cakes. As Americans like their cakes as moist as they can be, Brasilians go the other way. They do not mind if their cakes are left to dry out a little and prefer them as such to take with coffee in the afternoon. It is not such a big deal for Brasilians to carefully wrap their leftovers to keep them moist. It just doesn't matter. What a refreshing attitude.

Tchau!

Shopping Malls

By now, I think you know the drill. If not, please see previous posts.
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Shopping in the shopping centers of the larger cities in Southern Brasil is the same as shopping in any mall in America, except of course, your American dollars go farther. There are a few differences, though, that I’ll talk about. Most stores in Brasil have a limited selection of stock on hand. Some of the larger chains will have everything you need, but the smaller, boutique stores carry limited size choices, so if you are looking for a particularly difficult size to find, chances are, you won’t find it in these shops. Many Brasilian women, for instance, are very petite and slim, especially up top. If you go to a clothing store in the mall, you’re going to find only items that fit that particular body type. You’ll find sizes 0 to 10, but not much above that. If you’re like me, what they call a grande grande or x-grande, forget about it (actually, I am down to a grande, thank you very much). You’ll have to shop somewhere else, the mall isn’t where you’ll find many options. Speaking of grande grande, let’s go to the food court.

The food courts in the malls in Brasil may not be as large as those in America, but they are comparable to some extent. You will almost always find a McDonald’s, sometimes right next to its Brasilian counterpart, Bob’s, serving up hamburgers and french fries in a jiffy. You’ll also find one or two places that serve the original Brasilian fast food, pastels, in many flavors, including beef, chicken, and heart of palm. Then there are the buffets that serve up a complete array of foods by the kilo (1 kilo = 2 lbs. roughly). You’ll find stroganoff, fried fish, chicken, and a whole assortment of rice and potato dishes, along with plenty of vegetables. At these restaurants, you will be served on china, instead of paper plates. No kidding. Most mall restaurants have china plates and they are distinguished by the pattern on the plate, so that, if a person forgets to bring the plate back when they are finished, the workers at the restaurant know exactly whose plates they are. And real silverware or flatware, no plastic. It’s quite unique.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about dessert, finally! We’ll see what our options are in and outside of the mall.

Till then, Tchau!