A tasting event led by tourism experts and historians brings back the guarulhense stew — a colonial-era dish blending chicken, pine nuts, and cassava in a clay pot.
In the heart of Guarulhos, centuries-old flavors returned to the table. Last Tuesday (Feb. 24), local tourism figures gathered at the Grupo Finger headquarters to taste the guarulhense stew and cassava ice cream. The event is part of a growing movement to establish a distinct gastronomic identity for Guarulhos.
A recipe with over three centuries of history
The guarulhense stew is more than a dish — it’s a living document of the city’s collective memory. Historian Elton Soares, a member of the Validation Committee, recounted that a family from the Jardim Álamo neighborhood, surnamed Caraça, preserved oral accounts of their ancestors eating the stew during the Feast of Nossa Senhora do Bonsucesso, a celebration dating back to 1641.
“A family from Jardim Álamo, with the surname Caraça, reported that their ancestors already ate the stew during the traditional Feast of Nossa Senhora do Bonsucesso, held since 1641 — reinforcing the dish’s presence in the city’s oldest festive contexts.” — Elton Soares, historian and member of the Validation Committee
Ingredients that tell the city’s story
The dish is cooked in a clay pot with chicken, annatto, white rice, araucaria pine nuts, cassava, corn, salt, garlic, onion, and cilantro. Each ingredient carries a chapter of the region’s history.
The pine nut, seed of the araucaria tree, once fed the region’s first inhabitants — the indigenous Maromomi people. Cassava, in turn, links the dish to the colonial and community history of Guarulhos. Together, these elements form a recipe that spans indigenous, colonial, and popular layers of the city’s past.
The tasting also featured cassava ice cream, a homemade dessert tied to the food traditions of the Torres Tibagy neighborhood — particularly the Evaristo Gimenes family. The first recorded tastings of this dessert date back to 2016.
From a dish to a cultural policy
The movement is led by a Validation Committee that includes tourism specialist Danilo Ramalho and gastronomic ambassador Araçari Salles. The group has delivered lectures, showcased the dish at the city’s anniversary celebrations, and plans to bring it to schools and restaurants.
“The project seeks to affirm Guarulhos’ cultural identity through flavors. We have given lectures about it, promoted the dish at the city’s last anniversary, and want to bring it to more places, like schools and restaurants.” — Danilo Ramalho, tourism specialist and member of the Validation Committee
The stew was prepared for the tasting by renowned chef Adriana Bernardes. The initiative goes beyond food: it’s a strategy for educational, gastronomic, and business tourism in Guarulhos, as highlighted by Araçari Salles.
“The project has the potential to drive educational, gastronomic, and business tourism in Guarulhos.” — Araçari Salles, gastronomic ambassador of traditional Guarulhos cuisine
Photo: Press Release
