When You Wish upon a Food

When You Wish upon a Food

One of my favorite Italian traditions is making a wish every time you’re served a food you’ve never had before.

I always make the same wish. Last night at Texas de Brazil, it was because of the farofa.



I’ve had feijoada on many occasions, even made it myself a few times, but I’ve never had it with farofa, which I understand is the traditional condiment. It’s cassava (yucca), toasted and seasoned with basically salt, pepper, and olive oil (I’m sure there are variations on this theme).

It was very good on the meaty beans: nutty, slightly toasty and granular, adding some crunchy texture to the stew.

Now, I’ve had cassava/yucca before, but never as farofa, so I’m hoping the Italian Wish Fairy will not reject my wish based on a technicality (though it wouldn’t be the first time).

If you’ve had some new foods that you’ve never had before, please make a wish and post about the foods here.

Great idea for a thread, David. It really speaks to me, and while I do not have anything to post just now, I am reminded of the almost spiritual longing I feel whenever I step into a well-stocked Asian grocery. I typically have a wistful moment of reflection on the wonders of Creation, the impossibility of penetrating all its mysteries, and the feeling that life is just too short. Perhaps the Italian tradition of making a wish when served a new food has to do with asserting one's existence?

David - what was your wish, if not to eat more farofa? If so, hit Taste of Brazil any day in our own People's Republic for decent feijoada with farofa. Weekend batches are even better. Last time I made a wish over food it was the ramen at Arami, and the wish was for food that fresh and scratch to be available at 10 PM everywhere in the city. Probably should have wished (and have wished since) for the same throughout Northern Japan.

Spent the afternoon sipping some incredible wines of Languedoc with MikeG. As there were many grapes I'd never had before (I failed Occitan in high school), I had beaucoup opportunidades for wishes. I took them.

Does food you make yourself for the first time count?

Texas de Brazil's farofa recipe. Their feijoada is there, too.

First time I had sea beans at MK (week before last), I made a wish; second time I had sea beans (at Purple Pig, night before last), I sensed a trend:



I like these vegetables, which I understand grow on the marshy margins of large bodies of water. They're salty. Not sea weed, though looking like the stuff they pack lobster in, sea beans have an asparagus-like taste and a pleasant crunch.