Food South America

Inside the Flavors of Feijoada, Brazil’s National Dish

Words by Matt Dursum Like many national dishes, Brazil’s Feijoada comes from humble roots. In this hearty stew, beans, spices, and various cuts of pork, sometimes including the scraps like pork knuckle and pork ear, are cooked down to perfection. Feijoada is divinely flavorful and reflects the complex and sometimes painful history and cultural diversity of Brazil. Almost immediately after arriving in Brazil, I treated myself to an endless helping of the rich bean stew.…

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South America Travel

A Midwesterner’s First Impressions of Rio 

Words and Photos by Matt Dursum Rio, a city as alluring as it is intimidating, has always been on my bucket list. From listening to the melodies of Gal Costa to watching scenes of musician Seu Jorge play a bus driver in 2002’s cinematic masterpiece, The City of God, it has enticed me throughout my upbringing. Now, in April 2023, I finally get to experience Rio.  Rio de Janeiro, known globally as Rio, is a…

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Food South America

The World of Yerba Mate

Get out your gourd. Yerba Mate is the South American tea that deserves all its praise Words by Matt Dursum If you’ve traveled to South America, you’ve likely seen people of all ages walking around with gourds or egg-shaped ceramic cups with a straw and a large thermos of water. This is the omnipresent mate culture of South America, a tea drinking practice that puts other tea-obsessed places like England and Japan to shame.  Yerba…

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South America Travel

The Giants of Foz do Iguaçu

Words and photos by Matt Dursum Over a glass of fresh pressed sugar cane juice, my girlfriend and I went over our time in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil with our Airbnb host, driver, and all-around great guy, Thiago Kim. Born in Argentina, Kim has since lived for several years on the Brazilian side of the falls and on top of running several Airbnbs, he runs a tourism company.  For a week, we relied on Kim’s…

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