With over four thousand plants unique to the region, the biome in the heart of Brazil is a territory of healthy and flavorful foods. The "Cerrado Tropicano" campaign encourages consumers to incorporate these ingredients into their daily lives; find out where to buy them and how to enjoy them.
Brazilians and foreigners who live in CerradoWhether residents, tourists, or admirers, visitors have much more at their disposal than just trails, waterfalls, and ipê trees. As the most biodiverse savanna in the world, with 30% of the national species, the Cerrado is the cradle of nutritious and healthy foods, collected and cultivated by family farmers and traditional communities, such as indigenous people, quilombola communities, and babaçu nut gatherers. Present in all regions, occupying 25% of Brazil, the biome is much more than the agricultural frontiers of monocultures. Food diversity is one of its most striking original characteristics.
The “Cerrado Tropicano” campaign, held at the end of this year by the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN), aims to encourage the everyday domestic use of ingredients from the Cerrado region. Common on the menus of specialized restaurants that value local products, these foods can and should be in the kitchens and pantries of Brazilians, especially those from the Cerrado. States which contain part of the Cerrado vegetation. During Christmas festivities, it is still possible to include the flavor of the biome in traditional recipes. (see suggestions below).
Some species are well-known, while others are still trying to find their place in the sun, or rather, their place in consumers' daily lives. Cashew fruit, pequi, araticum, murici, baru, buriti, babaçu, bacuri, gabiroba, cagaita, mangaba, puçá, araçá, jatobá, chichá, pitomba, and the list of diversity goes on. These are just some of the more than ten thousand plant species present in the Cerrado, of which four thousand are endemic, meaning they are found only in the region. Their high nutritional content is scientifically proven, and researchers suggest using these foods in regional menus and school meals.
“We have known for some time that the Cerrado is a source of vitamins and minerals, but consumers still don't have the habit of looking at these unconventional foods and incorporating them into their daily diet,” says Terena Peres de Castro, technical advisor at ISPN. She explains that the difficulty lies in how to access these foods, which are often unavailable in traditional markets, and also in a lack of knowledge about how to utilize the products. “Consuming products derived from biodiversity is a conscious act because, in addition to guaranteeing food security for society, it plays an important role in environmental conservation, as they are produced with respect and involve local communities,” she emphasizes.
One of the actions of the “Cerrado Tropicano” campaign promotes the portal. CerratingaThis website provides internet users with a list of producers and extractivists who supply native foods. Interested consumers have access to what they sell and the channels for purchasing them, as well as recipe options that teach how to consume the foods in the best way. The site also offers nutritional details for each species. By including native ingredients in their daily lives, consumers contribute to strengthening the local economy of peoples, traditional communities, and family farmers.
Nutritional suggestions
If the food list is extensive, those interested can take advantage of it. Cerratinga To access specialized information at any time. Below, four ingredients are highlighted for their nutritional content and ease of availability:
- O new It has about 26% protein content, more than coconut, Brazil nuts, or cashews. This almond can be enjoyed on its own or mixed into salads and risottos for extra crunch. Processed, it yields a flour that can be used in confectionery, such as in pies, cakes, and cookies. Baru nuts are easily found in large supermarket chains.
- From the palm tree of babassuEverything is used, including for crafts, carpentry, and cosmetics, but it is in food that the coconut is most valued: it becomes milk, oil, and flour that can be the basis of anyone's daily diet. It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, is rich in fiber, therefore, great for combating constipation and obesity. Products derived from babassu can also be found in large supermarket chains.
- A mangaba It is rich in vitamin C, more so than other more acidic fruits. It can be consumed. in natura Or as a raw material for the production of delicious processed products such as jams, preserves, ice cream, liqueurs, wine, among others. This Christmas, as a dessert suggestion, mangaba mousse is a great choice!
- O Jatobá It is a sacred Brazilian heritage, considered by some indigenous groups as a plant of meditation. Its flour is widely consumed, either in its natural form or in recipes for breads, biscuits, cakes, or in the traditional Christmas recipe for French toast.
