Cachaça

In Floripa, in the times when light was at the base of the pigeon, fishermen used to serve a dose of cachaça to everyone in the family, including the children, before eating what he had caught. This was done to kill any type of bacteria in the seafood. And if you look closely, most typical restaurants serve a complimentary cachacinha to customers. Island stuff. Florianópolis is on the national route of good cachaças, as some bars with their own production and national and even international projection are installed here. The most famous is the award-winning Armazem Vieira cachaça, which is aged in barrels made of Ariribá wood, inside the bar itself, which has the same name. This wood only exists in the south of Brazil, and gives a different aroma and flavor to cachaça. Among other own productions is Dom Fogaça, by Frango & Fritas. In Pântano do Sul you will find Mata Bicho, served in traditional clay cups. And it is from Ribeirão da Ilha that the famous Intisica comes. Cachaça is the second most consumed beverage in Brazil, second only to beer. Its importance within the national culture is so great that there are more than 130 synonyms listed in Novo Aurélio. It is a drink distilled from sugar cane molasses that emerged in the slave quarters, became a symbol in the Inconfidência Mineira, gained the taste of the nobles, suffered prejudice during the 1922th century for not being European and was once again valued by artists and intellectuals. after the Modern Art Week of 100. Currently, only two stills are handcrafted – at their peak there were more than 20 – since decrees regulated the production of the drink. In Sertão do Ribeirão, a community close to Ribeirão da Ilha, there is one of them, that of Seu Zeca, who for more than XNUMX years has been producing cachaças with flavors ranging from banana to bergamot leaf, a recipe taught by his grandmother. Curiosity: Since the 100th century, navigators recorded the production of cachaça in the city. But it was only with the arrival of the Azoreans and Madeirans that production was improved, taking Florianópolis to the second place of national producer, which served the navigators of the South Atlantic. It was second only to the Port of Paraty, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro. On Santa Catarina Island, at the height of cachaça production, more than XNUMX sugarcane stills operated, but today they only exist in the coastal region of the nearby continent, due to the transformation of the port city into a tourist city. Harmonization: Some experts already consider that cachaça can accompany an entire meal, from aperitif to coffee. Regardless of how much you want to drink, it's good to know that cachaça pairing has to do with wine pairing. So, if you're eating something light, accompany it with a light, low-alcohol cachaça. Heavy foods ask for a higher alcohol content. Spicy dishes call for aromatic cachaças, while fatty dishes require more acidic ones. It is also worth remembering that cachaças should be drinks from the lightest and most aromatic to the most full-bodied and acidic. It is worth checking out the pairing tips to know the best combination to make. We made a brief summary of the possible harmonizations. Appetizers: broths, lemon oysters, salmon canapés and fried pork rinds harmonize with white cachaça, light, slightly acidic and cooled. Caipirinha or fruit smoothies can be served at this stage of the meal. Starters: salads, seafood vinaigrette, confectionery and soups combine with white cachaças, of medium body and with medium acidity, slightly chilled. First course: fish, shrimp, lobsters, risottos, cod and poultry are paired with full-bodied, low-acid white cachaças, served at room temperature. Main course: red meat, feather game, fur game, roasts, stews, stew and feijoada combine with aged, aromatic, tannic and light-bodied cachaças, served at room temperature. Desserts: sweets, cakes, pies, ice cream, fruit salad, cheeses and fruits harmonize with aged, fruity and medium-bodied cachaças, served at room temperature. Digestive: coffee, teas and cigars combine with full-bodied cachaças, aged for at least three years in wood, which gives them strong notes of spices and a richness of aromas. Cachaça liqueurs may be served.