By Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, Contributing Editor
Part of my responsibilities for overseeing culinary programs in nine different countries entails spending time in those countries, often dining with fellow chefs. Along the way, I have tasted new foods and preparations in the context of their geographic home. Countless times, I have mentioned that a particular dish or food would be welcomed in the United States if we only knew about it. (Other times, I have eaten foods that were excellent, but would not find a home in this country; I just don’t think Americans are ready for ant eggs, Guinea pig, etc.) But I’ve run across many foods that I believe fit our food culture and would warrant being introduced to U.S. consumers.
A spotlight on Brazil
Increasing global influence and the upcoming worldwide sporting events in Rio de Janeiro—soccer’s World Cup in 2014, and the Summer Olympics in 2016—are propelling Brazil--and it’s cuisine--into the international spotlight. Brazil’s national cuisine is a melting pot from different peoples, including native populations, Europeans (primarily Portuguese and Italian) and Africans. Brazilian food is further divided into diverse regional cuisines, including the Amazon that yields an amazing variety of wild fruits. The açai fruit, lauded for its nutritional value, has found its way into countless products, but açai is only one of many. A quick trip to an Rio or São Paulo juice shop offers an array of fruits with intriguing flavors and textures, including cashew fruit (better than the nut!), cupuaçu, acerola, pitanga and graviola. These are ideal candidates to expand frozen-dessert varieties, dessert sauces, juices and smoothies here in the United States. Some of them are already imported as frozen pulp.
According to Teresa Corção, chef at Rio’s O Navegador, Brazilians were not originally wheat eaters, but instead were defined by manioc (also known as cassava; tapioca is made from the plant’s dried root). She has been researching manioc traditions (in conjunction with Rio’s Maniva Institute) and teaching it as part of her commitment to slow food and to highlighting traditional regional foods. Indeed, manioc is everywhere in Brazilian society. In the northeast of the country, pancakes, called tapioca, are made with 100% tapioca flour mixed with a small amount of water. They are typically folded in half with either sweet or savory fillings, and have a delightful, chewy texture. They could be a welcome addition to breakfast restaurants and brunch buffets. Puffed tapioca snack foods, called mandiopã—very similar to puffed snack pieces seen in the United States—are very common in Brazil. It is also important to note that manioc and tapioca can play an important role in America’s focus on gluten-free cooking.
One last mention before moving on—fish. Wholesalers are starting to import fish from the Amazon. In my Brazilian travels, I’ve found that tambaqui (also known as pacu) and pirarucu (also known as arapaima), both very large fish from the Amazon, deserve further attention. Dredging pieces of these fish in cassava flour before sautéing is a satisfying Brazilian twist on a French classic. And grilled tambaqui ribs and belly have a remarkable resemblance to their pork counterparts.
Chilean treasures
While Chile borders the Pacific Ocean for 3,998 miles and boasts great seafood, it was the country’s lamb prosciutto that struck me as a product ready for an American debut. Hgh-end, house-made, custom charcuterie has flooded the U.S. market, and all things pig have dominated many restaurant menus, but as we search for the “next big thing," this has promise. The lamb I tasted was silky and deeply flavored. Thinly sliced, it would be perfect anywhere pork prosciutto is found, on a panini or other sandwich, diced into a pasta dish, rolled inside a chicken breast, or on its own along with some appropriate garnishes and bread. And, of course, it could be a kosher or halal substitute for traditional prosciutto.
Another treasure from Chile is a simple spice blend called merkén, a centuries-old spice mix used by the native Mapuche. It combines smoked cacho de cabra chile, coriander, salt and sometimes cumin. I see this as the next step after America’s “discovery" of pimentón (blends of sweet, smoked and/or spicy paprika) from Spain, since merkén also adds heat to the equation. In Chile, merkén is sprinkled onto and used in a host of different dishes. For instance, its flavor profile is perfect sprinkled on seafood, added to an omelet, stirred into soup or sauce, or rubbed into meat. It might also be a unique flavor for crackers and flatbreads.
Just as Brazil has its own unique fruits, Chile has carica, which is currently imported into the United States packed in low-sugar syrup. Harvested in the country’s northern semi-desert valleys, carica is a bright-yellow fruit that has a sturdy texture, making it a versatile complement to savory and sweet preparations. Its texture also allows the fruit to be easily grilled or sautéed.
Cocoa from Ecuador
The small country of Ecuador is graced with four distinct regions: the mountainous highlands, the jungle, the coastline and the Galapagos Islands. Because if this geographic diversity, Ecuador has a tremendous variety of products, including many indigenous fruits.
One of Ecuador’s greatest products is high-quality chocolate. Because Ecuador has some of the best cocoa beans in the world, it’s no wonder that Ecuadorian chocolate is making a name for itself. Certainly, gourmet chocolate is not a new trend. Companies such as Cacao Barry (owned by Barry Callebaut, Zurich, Switzerland) have already focused their efforts on producing terroir-specific chocolate. (Cacao Barry has even moved from country-specific chocolate to plantation-specific chocolate, as in the case of the extraordinary Alto el Sol in Peru.)
Ecuadorian chocolate is sold to the consumer in the form of chocolate bars which tend to be low in sugar and cocoa butter, but high in levels of cocoa mass, which mirrors the attention chocolate has had from a health perspective. The flavor of the chocolate is complex and intense. The labels highlight geographical location (such as Manabí, Esmeraldas or Los Ríos), which is in sync with our attention to local and regional.
