Food Cosmopolitanism
31 March, 2026
Churrasco is a traditional Brazilian cooking method dating back to the 17th century, where meat on long skewers are seasoned with coarse salts and grilled over charcoal (Krämer, 2024).
However, when visiting Brazil, I was surprised to encounter many churrasco variations such as having an Argentinian touch of chimichurri sauce. Of course, new food variations may connect people from different cultures together; however, complications can arise regarding food authenticity.
This reminds me of the idea that variated dishes are generally accepted when they are adapted in one’s hometown, but authenticity issues arise when the dish variation is encountered outside the hometown’s environment (Jonas, 2013). Thus, if a variation of churrasco were eaten in Brazil, diners would be more accepting of it than consuming it in a foreign country. This highlights the importance of how the environment plays a key role in shaping food perceptions for the consumers.
Further, I learnt from Brazilian locals that churrasco are the core of Brazilian celebratory culture which blooms communal connections. However, when diners view an adapted dish critically due to authenticity, this can instead break social cohesion and attachment, eventually causing culture to be lost. This made me realise that the relationship of the cook's serving decisions and the diners' perspective is crucial to build connection and trust through food.
Personally, through these observations, becoming less critical and appreciating new dish variations would minimise the contradictory effects of culinary cosmopolitism. If you'd like to see variations of churrasco cuisines including unique side dishes and sauces, here is a link!
References:
Barbacoa. (2025). Cuisine about Barbacoa. https://barbacoa.jp/en/pages/cuisine
Krämer, M. (2024, June 19) Churrasco in Brazil, more than just a barbecue | Aventura do Brazil. Aventuradobrasil.com. https://www.aventuradobrasil.com/blog/savoring-the-sizzle-a-culinary-journey-into-the-world-of-brazilian-churrasco/
Jonas, T. (2013, March 1). Eating the vernacular, being cosmopolitan. Cultural Studies Review, 19(1), 117-137. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.272826521177440
Trade, FG. (2019, April 24). Focus on man's hand cutting picanha meat during barbecue. Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/focus-on-mans-hand-cutting-picanha-meat-during-royalty-free-image/1143391082?adppopup=true
I have not used any AI tools for this blog
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