Xarém [1] or xerém [2] is a thick soup or porridge from Algarve, Portugal that is eaten in Cape Verde and Brazil as well. [3] It has a corn flour base combined with other traditional ingredients which vary by region. [4] The dish is prepared using corn meal, clams or sardines, and grilled meats. [5] [6] The Algarvian version is most commonly prepared using clams. [5] [6]
Etymology
The words "xerém" and "xarém" have no known etymological origin, though there are two hypotheses for the origin of the words:
- "xerém" and "xarém" from the Arabic word "zerem" meaning "grain potatoes."[ citation needed]
- "xerém" could be derived from a Yoruba word, xe'ree, meaning a rattle used in Orisha Shango. [7]
Brazil
It is a traditional dish in the Northeast Region of Brazil, especially in Pernambuco. The Brazilian dish contains coarsely ground corn kernels, and it is similar to polenta. [8]
It is also popular in Minas Gerais, where it is not called "xerém" but " little hominy ". The name is given to both the raw broken corn, and the cooked dishes made with it. [9] Traditionally, the Mineira hominy is cooked with pork ribs, sometimes with pork cuts with chicken, beef, or sausage added.[ citation needed]
Cape Verde
In Cape Verde, xarém is considered a traditional dish. It contains corn grain mixed with water, laurel, butter, and salt. [10] It can also be prepared with fresh tuna, coconut milk, onions, and gindungo peppers.[ citation needed] Xerém de festa is prepared with fat, pork meat, and onions, [11] or in other cases, with beans, bay leaf, peppers and tomatoes. [12] It is often used for wedding parties. [13]
On the island of Brava, a drum festival is celebrated in the month of June when the xarem dish is eaten and prepared as people dance to the coladeiras. [14]
Portugal
In Portugal, xarém is a traditional dish in the southern Algarve region, and is quite common in the city of Olhão. In that city, the dish is prepared using clams, bacon, and ham. [15] Other ingredients may include greaves, pork, and grilled sardines. [15] A dish called "xarém with shells" was one of 70 candidates in a September 2011 cook-off for the 'Seven Wonders of Portuguese Cooking' award, but it lost. [16]
See also
References
- ^ S.A., Priberam Informática. "Significado / definição de xerém no Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa". www.priberam.pt.
- ^ S.A., Priberam Informática. "Significado / definição de xarém no Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa". www.priberam.pt.
- ^ Alves, Jose. "Xerém Tradicional - Cabo Verde - Sabores da Lusofonia - Roteiro Gastronómico de Portugal". www.gastronomias.com.
- ^ "Xerém: Significado de "xerém" no Dicionário Português Online: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa - Michaelis - UOL". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
- ^ a b Xarém recipe
- ^ a b DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Portugal. EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES. DK Publishing. 2014. p. 412. ISBN 978-1-4654-2211-8.
- ^ Cunha, A. G. Dicionário etimológico Nova Fronteira da língua portuguesa (Etymological Dictionary of the New Frontiers of the Portuguese Language). Rio de Janeiro. Nova Fronteira. p. 832.
- ^ "Polenta with Shrimp ~ Brazilian Style - GF One Pot Meal - Global Kitchen Travels". 2016-04-30. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "Homimy with cooked pork". February 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "Xerém simples - Primeiro diário caboverdiano em linha - A SEMANA". August 10, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10.
- ^ "Cape Verdean Foods". April 6, 1997. Archived from the original on 1997-04-06.
- ^ "XERÉM DI FESTA - Primeiro diário caboverdiano em linha - A SEMANA". March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
- ^ "Gastronomia". www.cmrb.cv. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ SAPO. "SAPO". SAPO.
- ^ a b "Gastronomia". August 15, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-08-15.
- ^ "70 pre-finalistas" (in Portuguese). Maravilhas da Gastronomia. 10 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
