February 2026
Image: Jean-Baptiste Debret, Voyage Pittoresque et Historique au Brésil, c. 1830.
A few days ago, I ate Feijoada.
Black beans, pieces of meat and rice.
While I was eating, someone told me its story.
After that, it stayed in my mind.
Feijoada emerged during Brazil’s colonial period.
It is often linked to enslaved people who worked with what was available to them.
Less valued cuts of meat. Simple ingredients.
Over time, influences from Portugal blended with local traditions.
What began as humble became emblematic.
Today, feijoada is celebrated and served in restaurants.
It represents something national.
It became the queen of its category.
And that is what stayed with me.
Something made without comfort became iconic.
I often wait for better conditions:
More time, more money, more comfort.
But this dish was not built in ideal conditions.
It was built with what was there.
I was speaking to myself:
Stop waiting.
Work with what you have.
Move!
This is a quiet tribute to those who create under constraint.
To those who continue, even when conditions are not generous.
The beginning is often made of very little and often abundance comes later.
