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Paper Short Abstract:

Acai & tapioca are culturally significant in Brazil and have been consumed by indigenous people. Ethnographic research explores the intersections of Brazilian foodscapes in Lisbon. This study examines innovative consumption spaces, motivations, worker conditions, and environmental impact.

Paper Abstract:

Acai berries and tapioca have deep cultural roots in Brazil where they have been traditionally consumed for centuries by indigenous people. Both foods have gained popularity in recent years, particularly in Lisbon, a multicultural city where the Brazilian emigrant community is very significant due to the political history between Brazil and Portugal. Acai and tapioca are often marketed as healthy foods due to their natural and nutrient-rich properties and the EU regulations classifies them as “novel foods” on the common European market not considering that these foods have a whole traditional transformation process behind. Using an ethnographic approach, this work aims to understand the Brazilian foodscapes reality intersections in two Lisbon's neighborhoods: Arroios and Penha de França where innovative consumption spaces, such as: street markets, restaurants, and specialized stores have proliferated, due to the growth of tourism activity in Lisbon which brings with it an associated gentrification— where more traditional stores are being replaced by these new spaces— but also creating spaces of cultural confluence where various nationalities connect and contact. In addition to exploring the cultural motivations and experiences of the different consumers of acai and tapioca in these spaces, this communication also aims to reveal some of the difficult journeys and precarious conditions of the workers in these stores, not forgetting the concerns about the sustainability of their production and the environmental impact in some traditional communities in Brazil that rely on the acai and tapioca—where they often remain the last piece in the capitalist extractive chain.