Brasilian food is very much a reflection of the country. Each area has dishes found more commonly in those areas. These dishes are made from the ingredients that the people of the area had access to. Along the coast, meat is often substituted by fish as the main ingredient. In areas where vegetables don't grow as readily, fruit is a large part of the peoples' diet.

Much like the DIY crafters, Brasilian cooking is all about using what you can to make due. In class we've been talking about "Making Due in America." It seems that everyone has ways of making due. For Brasilians, people need to make due with what they have in order to survive.

It seems a lot like my mother's father's recipes. Many of them are simple dishes, not a lot of ingredients. My mom always said they were pesant foods. I guess that my grandfather's Italian food has a lot in common with Brasilian food. The food of pesants.

This pesant food of Brasil has become famous. People seek out 'Brazilian Steakhouses' like Fogo de Chao hoping to find a uniquely Brasilian experience. This experience has been projected onto Brasilian cuisine. People think the 'authentic' Brasilian meal consists of all-you-can-eat meat and vegetable dishes. But the reality is far from this. The meat dishes either consist of whatever is available to the people of the area or are the meals of gauchos (cattle ranchers).

In a world where people label things how they choose, how can anyone keep their true identity? Who decides what is really authentic?