…. a Brazilian extravaganza!
Celia, from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, is the inspiration behind “In My Kitchen”, as she started this type of post in her blog many moons ago, and now many bloggers are doing the same. 😉
These are just some of the goodies we brought home with us from our trip, and most of it brings back memories of my childhood. You ‘ll notice that I definitely had more appreciation for sweets then.
To start off… Bombons Sonho de Valsa (A Dreamy Waltz). These (in the pink wrappers) are by far the most popular chocolate concoction in Brazil. They were created in 1938 by Lacta, and the label hasn’t changed much since then. Kraft Foods later acquired Lacta, and the new company came up with a few variations, but none as popular as the original. It has a center of cashew nut cream, surrounded by a thin layer of waffle crust, and the whole thing covered in milk chocolate. I grew up savoring these, and my favorite part was the creamy center, so if no one was around I’d carefully nibble the chocolate and the waffle, to enjoy the cashew nut filling all by itself!
Later, much much later, the same company created “Ouro Branco” (White Gold), the exact opposite of Sonho de Valsa, in that white chocolate forms the outside layer, with a dark chocolate/nutty cream lays inside. Ouro Branco arose in the mid 70’s, and die-hard fans of Sonho de Valsa (me included) would not touch one. But, one day I happened to try it, and concluded that they have their well-deserved spot on Earth! With their older brother they make a great yin-yang pair… 😉
Ovinhos de Amendoim (little peanut eggs). You can’t give these little delicacies enough praise. It’s impossible to eat just one. They are addictive and incredibly delicious! But don’t just take my word for it, here’s what an American traveling for the first time in Brazil had to say about them… 😉
They were a mandatory snack at my parents’ home to nibble before a Sunday lunch, or when friends came to visit. Japanese immigrants deserve all the credit for these little jewels. The outside layer is made of manioc (cassava) flour, which crumbles in your mouth and dissolves with a salty/sweet taste that’s perfect for the roasted peanut inside. They bring me memories of my Dad, because we’d sit down to watch TV and share a bag, fighting hard for the last ones. 😉
BANANA-PASSA (Raisin Banana) – Or, as Phil calls them “bananinhas.” Don’t hold their look against them. Ugly? …maybe, but sooooo tasty! Each one is a full grown banana, dried down (with or without additional sugar, depending on the brand), until they are about 1/5 of their size, and each packs a ton of banana flavor. They’re perfect for a hiking trip, but don’t forget each one you wolf down is an entire piece of fruit. Imagine what will happen if you eat 6 bananas! So, pace yourself, and stay with a maximum of two of these.
BALAS DE LEITE KOPENHAGEN. I have very few addictions. Nutella, Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream, and Balas de Leite (milk candy) from Kopenhagen. When I was young all the products from Kopenhagen were too expensive, and not a good match for my allowance. But when I had a little bit of extra cash, I’d indulge myself and buy a small bag of these candies, which put me in personal heaven for a while. Every time we now land in Brazil my sister gives me several bags to bring home!
The outer shell is hard; you can either bite it right away or let it slowly dissolve in your mouth until it breaks and releases its treasure: sweetened, condensed milk! I’m partial to the second protocol, but sometimes I’ll devour one just to get that mixture of crunchy shell with the condensed milk… aaahhh the simple pleasures…
CHA’ de CAMOMILA & ERVA DOCE. My Mom’s evening tea is a new found love. When I tried it I thought it was the best I’d ever had, but I could not figure out what kind it was. She finally told me her “secret recipe” – a mix of two herbal teas, chamomile and fennel, brewed together. Their flavors combine into something else, something soothing and smooth, a perfect way to end the day. I’ve been making it before going to bed, so me and my Mom share a similar routine, only a few thousand miles apart from each other…
and, finally, also in our kitchen, precious gifts from loved ones….
A painting of a Brazilian flag, which was a gift from my niece and her daughter. The center of the flag shows a flowering tree called “quaresmeira“, typical of Brazil, that is thought to bring everlasting happiness…
A beautiful tablecloth made by our friend Alice….
A nice kitchen towel made by my Aunt….
Wooden items, salad servers, lime mashers for caipirinhas, drink stirrers, all sitting on a beautiful wooden tray, a gift from my sister.
I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into our kitchen this month…
ONE YEAR AGO: A Journey to a New Home
TWO YEARS AGO: Pork medallions in mustard-caper sauce
Bewitching Kitchen 
Thank you for sharing your childhood candy memories and the homey touches in your kitchen. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by proof of the love and care of friends and family.
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Indeed…. a priceless feeling!
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I had no idea you had such a sweet tooth! What a glorious homage to your mother country in shiny wrappers. And the descriptions – well, if you were ever to give up your day job, I think you would do a fantastic job at import export!. I want to try all those sweets and most of them I’ve never heard of 😉 Sally, you’ve made me smile with all these lovely goodies. I love the teatowel and tablecloth and the painting of the flag too. No diea what caipriinhas are but I’m sure they are excellent and I suspect alcoholic. Lovely post !! xx
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Me neither! I am myself pretty surprised at how many sweets I showcased here! Maybe I should stop saying I don’t have a sweet tooth. I guess I do but just ignore it 😉
I just added a link to caipirinhas – should have added from the beginning, but forgot! Thanks for bringing it up to my attention, Joanna…
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Sally, thanks for joining in with all your glorious treasures from Brazil! I read every word with joy and could almost taste all the lollies! Not the banana though, as I’m not a banana fan, and there’s no way a black shrunken one would be likely to change my mind.. 😉
Believe it or not, I’ve just last week bought fennel tea for the first time ever, so I’m going to try your chamomile and fennel combination! Thank you! 🙂
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I had never had fennel tea – it’s supposed to be excellent for digestive problems, upset stomach. I don’t need it for these reasons, but the flavor, with the chamomile together is quite pleasing to me. Hope you like it too…
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This all looks like so much fun – to bring a piece of “home” back with you. Your sister has a great taste in gifts! 🙂 And those bananas, while a little odd looking to me, sounds wonderful! Great memories…I especially liked the one about your dad and the nuts. Reminds me of me and my dad.
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Yeah, Dads are special… we had a bunch of things we did in a “defensively shared” way 😉 Black olives, salami slices, the cooking juices from a nice steak, mopping with pieces of bread (we really fought hard for those! 😉
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Some interesting goodies. I cannot imagine eating the bananas. I hope they taste better than they look. I love the Brazilian flag painting.
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Barbara, I got some emails about them – I can see how their looks would make most people turn the other way. One of the reasons I decided to post is just to make sure if someone faces one of these, maybe my post will lead to a happy ending – they are pretty tasty (if you like bananas, that is… )
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so good!!
acabei de postar mencionando seu blog
bjs
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Angela, muito obrigada! Adorei seu post, hidratacao dupla e’ meio assustador na primeira vez, mas funciona joia!
beijao!
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Yes, I enjoyed the glimpse. This is so fun to see inside others’ kitchens. I like all the exotic goodies you have.
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I had a few more to post, but decided the article was long enough already! I will bring them to the spotlight as time goes by
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Ooooh such interesting things in your kitchen. Love the look of those peanuts, it seems like these might be gluten-free. Thanks for sharing.
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Yes, they are indeed gluten free – wish they were also calorie-free, but one cannot have everything in life! 😉
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Enjoyed seeing what you brought back with you from your time spent with family. I know you must have had a wonderful time.
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Always nice to go back to “former home” – next time we’ll go during the Summer, to profit from the beach too…
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Loved to see another “In My Kitchen” article! I would try the dark bananas, I bet they taste great. Never seen anything like it before, almost like a fruit version of beef jerky 😉
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Ha! Banana jerky… well, it’s not that far from it, but the bananas are quite a bit softer, even if it’s hard to tell from the picture
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These are great! I love seeing what’s in your kitchen! And I’m so fascinated by the banana passa! I’d love to find those to taste!
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I once found a recipe to make them at home, but it’s very involved, and I’m not sure it would match these. The recipe takes forever + six months to make 😉
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That tray is beautiful.
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Indeed…. it is made from discarded pieces of wood that the artist finds around, carefully cuts and matches the pieces together. Very very nice, each piece is obviously unique.
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This was a fun look into your kitchen! You brought home so many great things. I love revisiting favorite candies from my growing up years. I think all of my favorites involve caramel. And, the mixed tea sounds lovely. I want to try this!
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Sally,
That was so much fun, thanks for sharing it all. I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I can eat condensed milk from the can.
I found some farmers cheese to try the cake that you had on vacation.
Anne marie
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Those cashew nut chocolate sweets sound wonderful, I suspect I’d manage to consume quite a few of those if given the chance. Being a big fan of wood, I really like your tray too.
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It was fun peeping into your kitchen, not sure about the bananas though 😉
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