Feijoada is Brazil's national dish. The name is derived from the Portuguese word for bean, 'feijão'. Basically it's a thick mixture of beans, fresh and smoked meats plus, garlic and onion and seasonings.

Whilst it was invented by plantation slaves in the 19th century, who mixed their masters' pork leftovers and off-cuts (including pigs' ears, tails and trotters) with the black beans which were used to feed the animals, it has evolved to include Portuguese and native Indian influences. In particular, the Portuguese added the linguiça (sausage), and the Indians added the farofa (toasted manioc meal). Today it's traditionally served with rice or toasted manioc meal.

Black beans are most commonly used, but depending on the region, Feijoada can be made with any dried bean. Some regional feijoadas may be accused of not being the 'true' feijoadas, i.e. Feijoada Completa, as the peoples of the various regions use whatever local produce which is available, but whatever the modifications, the basics are the same, so we are going to commit the sacrilegious act of including a couple of these counterfeit recipes.

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