6.1 Festa Junina

June Festival

The Feast Junina are festivities that take place in June in Brazil and are extremely popular throughout the country and among all social classes. Originally called joanina from Saint Anthony, they celebrate the Catholic Saints:

 

Santo Antônio – Saint Anthony – 13th June

São João – Saint John – 24th June

São Pedro – Saint Peter – 29th June

 

The church, usually with a charity bazaar, is called a charity bazaar (quermesse). The festivities also celebrate rural life and feature typical dress, food and dance. They usually take place in a large open space outdoors called an arraial and people dress up as farmers, or country folk (caipira) with straw hats and checked shirts or dresses. São João celebrates marriage, so couples dance a kind of square dance called Square dance (Quadrilha) which features a mock wedding with the bride and groom. June is the time of the corn harvest, so special dishes are prepared made with corn. Hominy sweet (Canjica) is made from grated corn and coconut, boiled with water, milk, sugar and cinnamon. Corn pudding (Pamonha) is a sweet concoction of corn paste which is rolled and baked in fresh cornhusks. (Pinhão), an edible pine seed is also very popular. Bonfires and firework displays are also important features of these colourful two-week celebrations.

Typical foods

CANJICA- Hominy sweet (dish made made from grated corn and coconut, boiled with water, milk, sugar and cinnamon)

ARROZ DOCE - Rice sweet/pudding

PIPOCA – Pop corn

BOLO DE MILHO- Sweet corn cake

PÉ DE MOLEQUE- Peanut brittle or groundnut chikki

MILHO VERDE - Green corn

PAMONHA - Corn pudding (sweet concoction of corn paste rolled and baked in fresh cornhusks)

CANJICA- Hominy sweet (dish made made from grated corn and coconut, boiled with water, milk, sugar and cinnamon).

Recipe

Hominy sweet (Coconut Pudding)

You will need:

1 lb/500g of hominy (found in Latin Markets or Latin aisle of your supermarket)

2 quarts of water

1 can of sweet condensed milk

1 can of coconut milk

2 1/2 cups (500ml) of whole milk

2 sticks of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

10 whole cloves (see note below)

2 tablespoons of sugar (or more to taste)

2 cups of shredded coconut

crushed, toasted peanuts (optional)

Soak the hominy in water overnight. In a large pot, cook hominy with it's soaking water until they are soft, about 50 minutes. Add the condensed milk, whole milk, coconut milk and mix it well. Add the spices (cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, cloves) and sugar, bring it to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while. The pudding will thicken slightly. Stir in the shredded coconut and sweeten if necessary according to your taste.

Serve hot in individual bowls topped with a pinch of ground cinnamon and a tablespoon of crushed toasted peanuts.

June

Bonfire

Panel

 By 
Maria Quinor

* Material enviado para a Escola Parceira Riccall no Reino Unido - Inglaterra.