I find myself salivating just thinking about torresmo (pork crackling) or fried lambari. When I was a kid, in the São Paulo countryside, I had a little fishing case and I loved not only to catch lambaris, but also to, later, feast on a batch of crisply fried fishes – the spine, so crunchy, snapping as I chewed. What a wonderful appetizer!
The habit of eating snacks, nibbling on something or grabbing a quick bite is so Brazilian we even came up with a special word, which is essentially Brazilian, for this whole category of treats: tira-gosto (“taste remover” is the literal translation for the Portuguese word). And it makes us wonder: remove which taste? Originally, tira-gostos served the purpose of softening the strong and bitter taste of alcoholic beverages, usually spirits. Could it be that the first tira-gosto got its name in roadside bars? Or among groups of people who talked around fires in backwoods ranches? In my travels across the country, I’ve found tira-gostos in every kitchen. They not only made their way into homes and stuck around, but also found a new role: keeping at bay those who might try to raid the pots ahead of time. I’ve also heard good stories about the origins of these small and savory portions. After all, they are delicacies laden with quintessential Brazilian tales. Who among us never gazed at the pickled eggs found in joints and wondered how they came to be so colorful? And who never thought they were about to eat a feline species upon finding “carne de onça” on the menu? (This appetizer’s name could be translated as “jaguar meat”.)
Most typically Brazilian tira-gostos can be eaten with your fingers, without the need for silverware – paper napkins provide protection for the fingers and food. But they also can be served in shot glasses or bowls (in the case of broths), or with side dishes that become part of the snack (such as the breads that are served with meats and sausages).
There’s another characteristic to the tira-gosto that, in my opinion, is among its most prominent features: keeping people busy and entertained around a table while they are waiting for their meal. They stretch out the time we spend together. In this unscheduled dance of flavors, the tira-gosto colors our Sunday afternoons, our family get-togethers. They are the small portions everyone loves – and we always feel like ordering just one more.