Food And Identity In Brazil

Food, similar to one’s traditions and language, acts as another aspect that defines one’s culture and identity. Food offers a new perspective that gives voice to ordinary people about everyday food they eat that defines their identity and culture. Furthermore, food is a way to form communities and connections between people and their culture’s history. Additionally, food can have a significant role in determining social stratification and class, and also dictate another's understanding about that culture. Brazil’s national dish, Feijoada, is intertwined with the complex colonial history. Many believe African slaves created the dish, while scholars claim that slaves made it for their masters. Despite Feijoada having a complex and controversial creation story, it still plays an important role in society; representing history, bringing people together,

The dish consists of various meats, black beans, rice, and an orange slice.1 This dish not only gives insight to Brazil’s history and values, but the different parts of the dish also illuminates the different aspects that make Brazil so unique; a country of multiple races. March 29, 2018, Professor Elizabeth Hoover from Brown University, gave a lecture that focused on food and national identity with regard to Native American communities in the U.S. She explained the importance of food, representing a culture’s identity, and food sovereignty. Hoover discussed how Native communities regaining food sovereignty and “decolonizing their diet” would enable them to challenge the previous understanding of their culture having an unhealthy diet. Hoover defined food sovereignty: “A person’s right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable