Check out an interview with author Néli Pereira

Tell the truth, you probably know carqueja, catuaba or mastruz… Maybe you’ve even tried some tea or even drunk a bottle (traditional Brazilian medicinal infusions) with some of these ingredients. But have you ever had a drink with any of them? Or did you imagine herbs so typical of our culture being used as the base of new drinks?

It is this intersection between popular medicine (made up of bottles, lickers and even faith healers) and cocktails that researcher, mixologist and journalist Néli Pereira proposes in her book Da Botica ao Boteco (published by Companhia de Mesa). To this end, the writer investigated the flavor profile of ingredients very typical of Brazilian culture. Néli is in Curitiba this weekend for the launch of the work, which will take place during the Tutano Festival, at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum.

In an interview with Good Gourmetthe author spoke more about Da Botica ao Boteco, her research work and national mixology.

Taste!

Néli, tell us a little more about Da Botica ao Boteco, the book you came to launch here in Curitiba?

In my book Da Botica ao Boteco, I talk about ingredients that are in the world of popular Brazilian apothecary, but we don’t know much about their flavor. We don’t know, for example, that catuaba is more tannic, that mastruz is sweet or even that jurubeba has a lot of umami. But, what I came to understand, and what I show in the book, is that in addition to the flavors, I also needed to bring the knowledge of Brazil. So that we could toast with and for Brazil.

And how is the reception from the public, and from the market, to this proposal for a cocktail bar with Brazilian ingredients?

When I started this work, I saw a lot of people turning up their noses, looking with disdain. In parallel to this look of disdain, there is also a very tropicalized look, that everything that talks about Brazil and the cocktail scene here needs to be super fruity, tropical, with watermelons and pineapples. While, in reality, our cocktail has much more bitter. But what I notice is that these two situations have been changing. I notice that people are more open, especially younger people, to looking at these national ingredients with great potential.

And, beyond research, what is the cocktail you do like, Néli?

It’s a low-intervention cocktail. Because the cocktail I prepare isn’t about me, it’s about the ingredients I work with. I will always show the ingredient. So, for example, if I take a Yanomame Mushroom and mix it with Vermouth, I’m not going to hide the flavor of that mushroom by mixing eight other ingredients into the drink just to show how I know how to combine flavors. I will always show the ingredient. So, I would say that, it is a simpler, low-intervention cocktail.

Néli, in the book Da Botica ao Boteco, you share several signature cocktail recipes. What was it like for you to reveal these mixologist secrets?

I wouldn’t make cocktails if it weren’t for Brazil. Because I have no interest in mixing alcohol with other ingredients if it’s not to show Brazil. In fact, I only do it if it’s in Brazil. And within my trajectory, what matters a lot is sharing knowledge. Because it wouldn’t make sense to keep saving recipes for myself if what I want is to propagate Brazil and our ingredients. Of course, I’m not going to say that everyone has to make exclusively Brazilian cocktails. But I argue that our ingredients can and should be part of the cocktails we make here in Brazil.

Like that, can you explain a little better?

I’ll use gastronomy as an example, where you have chefs who work very intensely with Brazilian ingredients and cuisine, but you also have chefs who use Brazilian ingredients in more oriental or Mediterranean food, for example. At the cocktail you will also have this. People began to understand that, although you have a Brazilian cocktail shop, many more people can find ways to work within this universe. What I think cannot happen is that we just work with ingredients from abroad, with grapefruit, with yuzu, and ignore the flavors we have here. Opening your eyes to this means expanding your repertoire, not reducing it. And I see those who work in the area being more curious about this, especially the new generation.

Néli, they say there are many Brazils in one Brazil. This is because we have a diversity of landscapes and culture. Even so, would you say that there is an ingredient from the pharmacy that goes to the bar and that is typical of Brazil?

There isn’t one ingredient, but there are several that surround us and that we could and should pay more attention to. The catuaba, for example, what does it taste like? There are people who are surprised when they discover that catuaba is a slender tree, with scarlet sap and a tannic flavor. Jurubeba is another example. It can be found everywhere in Brazil. It is a plant from the tomato and pepper family. It has umami, tannin and also a sweetness… In my research, I bring 46 recipes and highlight 15 ingredients.

A little earlier you talked about gastronomy. Can these ingredients and the flavors you present in the book Da Botica ao Boteco also go into the kitchen?

I was recently on a TV show where I featured some of these herbs and ingredients. One of the ones I took was jucá, which is a berry that has a sweet flavor, a taste reminiscent of sugar and caramel. Manu (Buffara, internationally awarded chef from Curitiba) didn’t know anything and was very interested in taking it for dessert. Recently, chef Helena Rizzo made a dessert she calls Garrafada. It is entirely made with ingredients from the Atlantic Forest and is even presented as a bottle. So, see, these crosses are possible and they are great.

Well Néli, going back to the counter, which drink/cocktail would you say is typical of Brazil?

The capirinha. But it’s important to say the following: macerate the lemon when making caipirinha. The caipirinha is not shaken in a cocktail shaker. The lemon must be macerated and mixed with sugar, ice and cachaça. This is how you make a very powerful and delicious caipirinha. Of course, we have other classics, such as Rabo de Galo and Macunaíma, created at the Boca de Ouro bar and which mixes cachaça, lemon and fernet. But caipirina can be found from the north to the south of Brazil, it’s in bars, at barbecues, at family lunches…