On National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 7 February, indigenous school cook Alison da Silva, from São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), was the winner of the reality show Escola de Sabores.
‘Being indigenous means having a great responsibility. We have been fighting for space, health and education for so long. School meals are important for maintaining our history with the land and with farming, as our ancestors did. Winning this competition served to show that indigenous peoples have an active voice. To show that we exist, that we are here, and that nothing is impossible for our indigenous brothers and sisters,’ he said.
The challenge of the last competition was to prepare a complete meal with ingredients from family farms and without meat, but with a main course and dessert that told a little of their history.
Ana Paula, a finalist from the Quilombola Community of Minaçu (GO), prepared a recipe inspired by the tradition she inherited from her father: she prepared a beautifully presented tropeiro of egg farofa with beans and kale, and passion fruit mousse with banana for dessert. ‘In my homeland, we have a tradition of using corn flour and bananas. These flavours remind us of the happiness of being black quilombolas,’ she said.
Antônia, a finalist school cook from the Ribeirinha do Jordão Community (AC), prepared beans with traditional egg farofa and a salad with passion fruit aroma. For dessert, banana jam with coconut. ‘I remembered my children, my family, and above all I sought to represent my state of Acre here in the competition,’ he said. For singer and activist Lucas Penteado, guest judge, the dish took him back to school. ‘It’s like going back to my childhood with this egg with flour and beans,’ he said.
Alison, the winner of the final, presented a pupunha farofa with beans and egg and a creamy fruit salad for dessert. His dishes drew praise from the judges: ‘The beans are perfect, but what won me over was the farofa, so delicate in flavour and texture,’ said chef Rodrigo Oliveira.
‘Your ancestry is here with the pupunha fruit and your little pepper! Your dishes make me happy, the dessert is pure emotion,’ said chef Bel Coelho.
The reality show Escola de Sabores (School of Flavours) is a partnership between the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, and broadcasted by TV Band.
All previous episodes are available on the Centre of Excellence against Hunger’s YouTube channel: WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger – YouTube