Brazil is a nation of vast expanses and enormous variation from geography and climate to cultures and languages. Within these boundaries are definable regions in which certain customs,
history, and shared views help define an identity and cohesion. In many cases, the pattern of settlement and immigration has influenced the culinary culture of Brazil. Food, beverages,
dishes, and festivals play an important role in defining the character of a region. These aspects are combined with social elements of race, class, ethnicity and gender to define the identity
of each region and that of the residents who live there. This book explores the role that food and cuisine play in the construction of identity on both the regional and national levels in
Brazil through key case examples. It explores the way in which food has become an important element in attracting tourists to a region as well as a way of making aspects of a culture known
beyond its borders as cookbooks, ingredients and restaurants move outward in our globalized world.
