Journalled on Wednesday, 29th of March 2023 | Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 28 degrees, hot, sunny, and slightly cloudy.
It is the middle of the last week of the month, and I am broke. I only have R$10.00 left in my account, which is barely enough to buy a quentinha for lunch.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a quentinha is a pre-made takeaway hot lunch commonly sold on the streets of Rio and other major Brazilian cities. It’s a popular option for people looking for an affordable, decent-quality meal they can take away and eat anywhere.
When I was in school, I never ate quentinhas. I always went to per-kilo or à la carte restaurants with special lunchtime menus. Quentinhas, also known as marmitas or packed lunches, are a convenient and affordable option for those who prefer to eat on the go.
I started trying quentinhas in the year leading up to COVID, through a young man who would pass through the gallery where the school was, pushing a shopping trolley that people take to the street markets to buy fruit and veg.
I saw other people from the gallery buying quentinhas from him, so eventually, I decided to try one. It was the perfect meal for me, even though it was not sophisticated. A quentinha comes in a small polystyrene container with a lid. At the bottom is rice and black beans, usually with much more rice than beans. At first, I didn’t like this much, but now I don’t mind.
On top of the rice and beans, there is usually spaghetti, a little salad, and the main protein, such as chicken, pork, sausage, or roast beef. The meal is perfect for me because: 1. It is cheap. 2. The food is delicious, and 3. It is the correct quantity, not too much or too little.
During COVID, while I was stuck in Rocha, in Rio’s North Zone, I lost touch with the quentinha culture in the South Zone.
When I finally came back to live in Copacabana, for the first year or so, I dedicated myself to cooking for Yasmin and me, as my flat had a nice little Kitchen with all the amenities and mod-cons.
I also took enormous pride in cooking for Yasmin, and she appreciated it. However, over the last four or five months, I rediscovered quentinhas. There are three or four sellers of quentinhas within walking distance from where I live, so depending on the day and the time, it is possible to have a decent meal for almost nothing.
I want to talk more about this culture, but I don’t have enough time now. Tomorrow, I will talk more about it and explain why it interests me.
So, I bought my quentinha with my last R$10.00 Reais. It was fried chicken with salad, sweet potatoes, and a lot of rice and beans. It was super tasty and nutritious, and it cost only R$10.00. What more could a person want? I worked for the rest of the afternoon and evening, then went to bed, eating only that one meal that day.
In bed by 10 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
