Feijoaga (prounced “fej wa da”) is a fabulous traditional Brazilian dish served regularly everywhere in Rio.
The meal consists of sliced, spicy dark sausage (of unknown anatomical origin) steamed in its own juices, black beans, rice and a dry light green leafy vegetable that looks like seaweed run through a paper shredder. The meal is finished with peeled whole sweet oranges.
I tried feijoaga on my last afternoon in Rio and I’m now publishing Robert’s Revised Rules When Eating Foreign Food:
1- Three servings is excessive. No matter how delicious a new food may be, NEVER have more than one helping in per digestive cycle. On an initial tasting one cannot reliably predict one’s digestive reaction.
2- Steam trays are more ideal microbial incubators.
3- Do not be among last customers to eat feijoaga on a hot day in Rio.
4- Skipping the dessert oranges is not advised – apparently the citric acid provides important microbial countermeasures.
Less than an hour after boldly enjoying lots of feijoaga, my driver picks me up and heads for the airport. Though I feel a slight queasiness in my stomach and a bit light headed, I board then plane for my next stop – Sao Paulo.
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