Cobu
| Alternative names | Cubu, Pau a pique, João Deitado |
|---|---|
| Type | Cake |
| Place of origin | Gouveia |
| Region or state | Minas Gerais |
Cobu[a] or Cubu, also known as Pau a pique or João Deitado, is a traditional Brazilian dessert consisting of a bolo de fubá cooked in a banana leaf. The dish can be found throughout the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.[2]
History
[edit]The dish was developed in the early 18th century by Cobu slaves in Gouveia, Minas Gerais.[2] The original dish was a tough cake made of fubá and sugarcane molasses and cooked over an open fire called kpodógbà[b] or kpógbà in Fon.[4] This West African dish that was eaten as a slave food in Brazil was adapted into its modern-form after the addition of higher-quality ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese, cloves, cinnamon, and rapadura.[5] Brazilian ethnolinguist Yeda Pessoa de Castro theorized that the dessert began to be known as Cobu or Cubu after its commercialization by Mina and Cobu slaves.[4][6] Cobu was further refined to include coalhada, fat, and eggs to make it more palatable for White Brazilians and eventually took its current form as a bolo de fubá, wrapped in a banana leaf, and cooked in a clay oven.[5][2]
Cultural impact
[edit]The Brazilian municipality of Gouveia calls itself the "Land of Cobu" (Terra do Cobu)[1] and is a destination for tourists who want to try the dessert.[7] Cobu is the city symbol of Gouveia and many businesses and organizations in the city, such as samba schools, social clubs, gas stations, and supermarkets, feature Cobu in their names.[6]
Cobu can be found at festivals and events in Minas Gerais such as the annual Congonhas Quitanda Festival (Festival da Quitanda de Congonhas) in the Brazilian municipality of Congonhas.[8][2] Kobufest, an annual artisanal good festival in Gouveia, is named after Cobu.[9][1]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Pacelli, Shirley (14 February 2019). "Conheça Gouveia, no Vale do Jequitinhonha, a terra do cobu" [Get to know Gouveia, in the Jequitinhonha Valley, the land of cobu]. O Tempo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d Mourão, Lucas (18 February 2022). "Cubu: uma receita brasileira com muita história!" [Cubu: a brazilian recipe with a lot of history!]. Slow Food Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Fongbe - Vocabulaire - G". www.fongbebenin.com. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ^ a b Bonomo 2018, p. 16.
- ^ a b Bonomo 2018, p. 16-17.
- ^ a b de Souza 2012, p. 15.
- ^ "Gouveia". Portal Minas Gerais (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Batista & Bastos 2024, p. 13.
- ^ de Oliveira 2007, p. 114.
Bibliography
[edit]- Batista, Monica Dias; Bastos, Sênia Regina (2024-01-08). "Hospitalidade e saberes locais em festivais gastronômicos de Minas Gerais" [Hospitality and local knowledge at gastronomic festivals in Minas Gerais]. Turismo: Visão e Ação (in Brazilian Portuguese). 26: e19183. doi:10.14210/tva.v26.19183. ISSN 1983-7151.
- Bonomo, Juliana (2018). As quitandas de Minas Gerais: uma análise das origens de um alimento luso-afro-brasileiro [The quitandas of Minas Gerais: an analysis of the origins of a Luso-Afro-Brazilian foodstuff] (PDF). XIII CONLAB (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2024.
- de Oliveira, Carolina Dias (26 March 2007). As relações artesanais e o estímulo ao Desenvolvimento Local no Brasil, Gouveia-MG e outras diferentes escalas (PDF) (Master's thesis) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Belo Horizonte: Federal University of Minas Gerais. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- de Souza, José Moreira (March 2012). "Cobu da Gouveia: sapato sem meia" [Cobu from Gouveia: shoe without a sock] (PDF). Carranca (in Brazilian Portuguese). Comissão Mineira de Folclore: 14–15.