An illicit beach treat
If you were to ask me about the beach vendors of Rio, I would tell you about good guys with cool-boxes full of icy cold beers slung over their shoulders and a sack of Biscoito Globo in hand. I would describe people dressed in Arab style clothes selling esfiha and kibe, and the vendors laden with beach-balls, bikinis and cangas. I’d tell you about the shouts of “Alô mate! Alô limão!” from the orange clad ice-tea sellers and the clanking of the ice cubes in their twin metal barrels.
Here’s another thing I’d mention: Queijo Coalho (sounds like: KAY-zho KWAH-lyo). “Queijo” is Portuguese for “cheese” and the word coalhado means something like curdled or clotted. The first time I tried this firm, white cheese I had no idea how best to eat it. I had bought it in a supermarket and when I got home I cut it into chunky slices and put it in a sandwich. The result was not good – it was very salty, dense and generally quite disappointing.
Some weeks later Mrs Eat Rio and I were at the beach and a guy wandered past with a small metal tripod suspended above a stout wooden handle. When I was told that he was selling grilled queijo coalho I decided it was time to give this cheese another chance.
Back in the good old days, queijo coalho na brasa (grilled queijo coalho) was a favourite beach treat!
When grilled over hot coals, this cheese is transformed! It is quite similar to halloumi – it has a salty bite and squeaks against your teeth as you eat it! Before getting started, the vendor asks if you’d like oregano which is optionally sprinkled over the cheese before the grilling. A block of cheese is then mounted on a skewer and turned slowly over the glowing coals until it is browned and crisp on all sides. The end result is perfect for the hunger that develops over the course of a day relaxing on the beach:
Queijo Coalho na Brasa – the end result: salty, tangy, crispy and a little chewy, speckled with a light sprinkling of oregano.
However, I discovered recently that the joys of eating grilled queijo coalho on the beach were outlawed back in December 2011! This happened as part of a wider operation to regulate the beaches, which included a ban on cooking any food on the beach and the prohibition of ball games close to the sea during peak hours.
I feel a bit conflicted about this queijo coalho ban – I can see some good reasons for it. On top of the food hygiene question there is the fact that the beach was/is often littered with the lethal looking discarded skewers. Step on one of these sharpened sticks and you could do yourself some serious damage. There have also been cases of vendors tipping out their hot coals onto the sand, resulting in serious burns for unsuspecting passers by.
But then I think, what makes the beach different? The given reason for the prohibition of cooking food on the beach was food hygiene – but surely there is just as much potential for poor food hygiene with street vendors as with beach vendors – so why only the ban on the beach?
Kids playing Altinha (on the right) – another restricted beach activity. This was outside peak hours (8am-5pm) so they were not risking the wrath of the Guarda Municipal.
Is it too much to ask people to behave responsibly? For beach goers to put their used skewers in the bin? For the vendors to observe food hygiene standards and to dispose of their coals in a proper manner? Isn’t that the whole point of licensing beach vendors? Is the outright ban the only way? Call me naive, but I don’t think that eating queijo coalho on the beach should be an impossible dream!
Off-topic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0GESlaVNdE
I don’t even root for England (unless America, Czech Republic, and Brazil are out) yet this always makes me smile.
Ah, I remember that like it was yesterday… I great moment!
(p.s. what’s all this about Czech Republic?)
There is a special place in my heart for the place – plus they have consistently produced great teams yet have never won anything significant so it would be fair for them to have a title or two under their belts.
Beckham was a great but to me the most underrated player in England’s recent footballing history is this guy (there, I used “football”: happy?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW3uVb8gdP8
Pity his life off the pitch was such a hindrance to his game (there, I used “pitch” as well)
Top marks for using the words football and pitch Gritty – there’s hope for you yet! ;)
I loved Gazza – his performance in the Italia ’90 World Cup was amazing. I only found out years later that he had a huge following in the Gaza Strip!
As for most underrated player, I would have to give that award to Mr Matt Le Tissier – the best footballer you’ve never heard of…
Very impressive. I can’t believe Glenn Hoddle discarded this guy and kept him out of the 98 world cup.
Btw Matthew Le Tissier is a Channel Islander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Islands which means he probably loves the joke below as much as I do.
http://www.alltooflat.com/funny/jokes/jokes.php?viewj=457
Man, almost as good as a Grittjoke (almost I said).
Yeah, I often wonder what might have happened if ‘Le God’ (his nickname) had been given a fair run on the national stage.
BTW, Le Tissier isn’t the only Channel Islander round here! Check out my ancient ancestor – Lord Mayor of London no less! 8-)
p.s. that joke was pretty funny! You’d be feline very happy with yourself if it was one of yours…
I love queijo coalho! Had no idea it was banned on the beaches in Rio. Hilarious that you picked up on the little detail of it squeaking against your teeth as you eat it.
Not only does it satisfy the beach munchies, but the saltiness pretty much NECESSITATES drinking a cold beer / soda / coconut water to wash it down.
Hey Shayna – you know I only found out it was banned a few weeks ago! I hadn’t noticed and suspect there are still some people selling it on the sly. As you say, eating grilled salty cheese makes you want to drink something cold and refreshing and drinking something cold and refreshing makes you want to eat grilled salty cheese! :D