Node Midwest the earth shapes the flavors and the water sustains life. I joke that here is a fruit and a fish for each day of the year, such the diversity of fauna and flora we find for these bands. And this wealth translates into the kitchen, which beautifully mixes indigenous influences, drove customs and pantanal inheritances.
You have heard of guavira ? Or even jaracatiá ? Experienced piraputanga , pacu , golden and painted baked? These raw materials and another plurality of ingredients form a little of what I could experience in the region for the special season CNN Viagem & Gastronomy: Flavors of Brazil .
The journey through the Midwest could not start in a more “beautiful” way, since I stepped on Beautiful in Mato Grosso do Sul to dive into your rivers, enter your trails, bathe in waterfalls and, of course, enjoy the rich local cuisine.
About 300 kilometers from Campo Grande, Bonito is in the transition between the Cerrado and the Pantanal, joining forces of both biomes. Interestingly, the city’s surroundings also have trace traces of the Atlantic Forest, where we can observe this symbiosis when we get into nature.
South-Mato Grosso Flavors
This cultural and natural mix results in tasty raw materials and creations, which will end up at the tables of local restaurants and the hands of chefs who breathe and defend this land.
One of these characters is Sylvio Trujillo chef and owner of the restaurant Bacuri regional cuisine in the center of the city. From rustic footprint and walls stuffed with photos of the surrounding rivers, the house serves us south-Mato Grosso flavors focusing on beautiful traditions.
“I see these crops and biomes in our gastronomy. We are where the Triple Alliance war occurred, the Paraguayan War, which brought us the fishing and indigenous culture, as well as the border culture and livestock, resulting in a balan called Mato Grosso do Sul, ”says the chef.
In the restaurant, Guavira, a pitanga -related yellow fruit, will stop in drinks and dishes; The Guazú Chip, the “rich cousin” of Paraguayan soup, comes toast; And Piraputanga, the “Princess of the Formoso River”, arrives at the table with vegetables pulled in MisSô.
For Sylvio, one of the most special dishes is the pilot sashimi . “It is a cultural dish South-Mato Grosso. Only those who are fisherman of the Miranda River and the Paraguay River know this tradition. The pilot is the guide of fishing and traditionally takes a very fresh fish and the fillet, ”he explains. Each pilot has its sauce: the house is based on yellow peppers, urucum oil and guavira spice.
The banquet was still toasted with a sparkling wine from a pantanal winery, the Pantanal Terroir which has the Floriada dos Ipês line, made in partnership with Vinhedos do Rio Grande do Sul. After the toast, the dessert: Farm Sweets stuffed the table and brought a flavor of the station. Guavira in Calda and Jaracatiá finished with a golden key.
Speaking of Jaracatiá, do you know how your pulp is extracted to turn a candy? Projects with small producers in the region help preserve the tree while supporting themselves.
The jaracatiá tree has a thick peel, which is cut into small pieces and removed. This “top” comes out with the pulp, which is a wetter part. After cutting the pulp, the shell is placed back on the tree. The pulp follows to be grated and taken to the stove with sugar, resulting in a bright texture. It is delicious and, once in Bonito, it is worth passing in the shops to take a glass from the delicacy to home.
Pacu and Pantanal Barbecue
Midwest culinary delights do not end here. The chef Magda Moraes behind the Cassava restaurant in Campo Grande, met with me in Sanctuary Farm my little house on the days when I was in beautiful.
Imagine a big house with open environments, modern furniture, cozy atmosphere, infinity pool and green landscapes to lose sight. All this crowned with a neat kitchen, which invites us to celebrations around the stove and the table.
This is what I did next to Magda, who prepared a pacu roasted on the banana leaf Stuffed with banana farofa from the land, served with rice of guariroba and pirão. From entrance, a piranha broth with Paraguayan soup opened the paths. It was that meal of repeating the plate.
Pantanal cuisine is a plurality. It is a way of experiencing the experience of the people of the Pantanal, being the portrait of the Pantanal man
Magda Moraes, chef of cassava restaurant
While she prepared Pacu, we toast the meeting with a caipirinha de tereré made with grinding mate more grossly, different from mate, for example, which has the thinner herb.
For dinner, another tradition: the Pantanal barbecue . He is improvised on the floor and, at the time, we prepared a rib end and a surtum, a typically a pantanal cut that is Intangible Heritage of the City of Corumbá .
Accompanied by a beautiful salad, the cuts could only be appreciated after the touch of the Berrante, a symbolic act that kicks the cattle.
Boca da Onça and Pantanal Symphony
Between a culinary discovery and another, nothing better than walking around the region and faces natural wonders that only beautiful has. I say that the city is one of those destinations that can be repeated several times given the amount of attractions.
And one of the best places to experience ecotourism and Adventure Tourism It’s in Boca da Onça Farm in the rural area of Bodoquena, around Bonito. Think of trails, rappelling and waterfall bath, but raise the sensation – and beauty – to the nth power.
Inside the farm is the highest waterfall in the entire state, the Boca da Onça Waterfall whose water veil falls sublimely from a height of 156 meters. The rainy season, between November and March, causes her to reach all her beauty, and the good news is that the natural pool at her feet is open to bathing.
Here we can hear the Symphony of Araras and swim alongside fish amid a jaw -falling scenario. As the farm is in Serra da Bodoquena, trails are guaranteed and lead us to the highest negative platform rappel in the country, where we went down at a height of 90 meters.
Adrenaline makes the heart accelerate, but the undeniably beautiful views help balance the emotion. Equipped with receptive and restaurant, the farm still has nine points for bath, among them the Monkey hole and the Window to the sky also unmissable.
After the adventure, how about finishing the trip with another typical lunch? That’s what I did next to the chef Juanita Battilani name behind the Juanita Restaurante another address in the center of Bonito that should be in the script.
Juanita is one of those people who captivate us for the smile and defense of the Pantanal food, as they translate Paraguayan and Brazilian elements with recipes that carry only fresh ingredients.
Pacu in the Brasa is a specialty of the restaurant next to the Jacaré and Caipiroska de Guavira strips. But the recipe chosen for my lunch was the Pantanal Symphony a brutal dish influenced of the indigenous guatós that carries alligator tail, painted and pacu meat. “It’s the face of the Pantanal,” says the chef.
The boiler takes homemade spices and peppers, forming a true symphony of color and flavors, summarizing the immersion well Flavors of the Midwest .
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Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
