Part Four: São José do Rio Prêto, Brazil

[1 2 3 4 5 6 7]  Images below are thumbnails. Click on them to see a larger version.

I counted at least twenty types of the fudge, all apparently just made with milk, cream, sugar and various fruits like fig, papaya, pineapple, orange, coconut and mango, and also even raisin, sweet potato, beetroot and peanut. For the purpose of scientific investigation (wink wink, nudge nudge)  we purchased a selection box, which I photographed later in closeup. They were absolutely delicious! Oh, and scientifically significant.  

The rest of our shopping had to be done at the supermercado. Supermarket shopping is a serious family pastime here, and Brazil has awesomely large supermarkets, with the biggest shopping trollies I have ever seen. I even espied a lady pushing a trolley with four children inside. They are that big! The line at the checkout was very long, even midweek at lunchtime. We purchased everything we needed, and headed back home.

Later in the afternoon we cooked a few snacks for the evening - a little pasta and some delectable malpouras - plump doughnuts floated in thick sweet strawberry-studded yogurt, which we were planning to share with friends. While I was cooking, two groups of reporters arrived simultaneously downstairs to do interviews for local newspapers - Folha de Rio Preto, and Diario da Regiao. Avyakta had sent out a press release, and the media were expressing interest. So I temporarily put down my spoon and entered the media fray, something I was getting quite used to, especially this tour. While we were talking, Avyakta did a telephone interview from a third newspaper. Today was a veritable media frenzy!

One group chatted with me in the shop, through my translator - very few people speak English here. They took some photos of my cookbooks, and spoke extensively with Avyakta about the centre. Ladies from the second group wanted to photograph me cooking, and chat with me - in English - while I prepared the malpouras. So we went upstairs to the kitchen and continued there. They were very impressed, and groaned with delight when I offered them a plate of the succulent dessert. Later our guests arrived, I spoke with them for an hour, we shared the eatables and then I retired for the evening. A big day tomorrow.

<< Previous page  Next page >>