Food Glorious Food - mark 2

We know we've already mentioned it, but as we are now 3 weeks into the Brazilian diet, we felt it may be good to share in a little bit more detail the source of our energy.

Beans Meanz Heinz.....Beans means Brazilian breakfast, lunch, tea and supper! The staple diet of Brazilians is rice and beans in a variety of forms. Beans on their own, beans with chicken, beans with chorizo, beans with unidentified meat, beans with salad, beans with, well, more beans.
Lesson 13: Be prepared for 10 people in one room after a bean diet. Enough said.

Snacks are popular in Brazil and consist of crisps and some dodgy chocolate which tastes like Scotbloc. They are also keen to give out packets of biscuits at every opportunity - traybakes at a church event are replaced by a packet of biscuits cut in two. We mean you get half a packet for a light snack! Ladies, take note. Brazilian style fast food is a pear shaped ball of deep fried chicken, aptly renamed a chicken apple by Stephen Simpson.

However, by far the favourite of our team - particularly Sharon and Rebecca - is the popcorn in a packet which tastes like sugar puffs! This is sold in shops but also at all train stations and bus stations. In fact, before buses leave the station, there are sellers who come on to the buses and sell refreshments up and down the bus (including single sweets!). Rebecca is keen to point out that the popcorn is indeed evidence that there is one good thing about public transport in Brazil!

Lesson 14: Multi tasking is essential on public transport - grabbing onto bags, gripping onto the rails as you are flung around corners but most importantly balancing your precious packet of sugar puffs (a hefty 15p) just under your chin for maximum consumption.

Breakfasts were amazing. Fatima prepared a changing feast for us daily. The staples were fresh pineapple, papaya and watermelon, as well as bread rolls still hot and soft from the oven. Granola and yoghurt - prize for anyone who can take the lid off in one go - as well as coffee and a variety of freshly made fruit juices. Occasionally we got scrambled eggs, tapioca pancakes or cheesy/eggy couscous, fried bananas and the team favourite, cake.
Even after such a breakfast, lunch was the main meal of the day and it was usually, yes, you guessed it, rice and beans, as well as salad and chicken, fish or liver. The latter was not a favourite it must be noted. Tea, when it happened, was bread and cheese rolls, or sometimes, yes, beans and rice. However, on a team reconnaissance mission to the local supermarket, Sharon introduced us to the nectar of the conserve world. Banoffee style spread for use on bread rolls. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G in the words of Laura Bush. The solidified version, tasting almost like fudge, also went down a treat.

Guarana has continued to be a party favourite, with the main consumers being the Simpson boys. As if David Simpson needs something to make him more hyper! In an attempt to prepare ourselves for bikini body, or in Davids case, 'speedo time', we have occasionally sampled Guarana Zero - the diet version. All the fun with none of the calories!

Lesson 15: Make your dental appointment prior to visiting Brazil.