“Everyone who reads it is surprised by the outcome” An essay about feijoada puts a young Brazilian woman in 11 US universities. Student made an analogy between personal characteristics and ingredients of the typical Brazilian dish
A Brazilian student managed to pass 11 universities in the United States after writing an essay on feijoada — a typically Brazilian dish that highlights part of the country’s cultural diversity.
Sofia Rosa, 17, said writing is one of the cornerstones of the US college application process. The teenager noted that the analogy is an important device to tell her story and show her values.
“I chose this theme because I think it represents me. The combination of ingredients, which for many years were undervalued or left aside, forms something unique and authentic. This analogy represents my process of self-acceptance and self-love. As much as during the years I have despised my characteristics, they are essential for the formation of the person I am today,” says the young woman.
The connection with cooking comes from the family, especially from the grandmother. The philosophy of the house is that, while cooking, you can find ways to create and overcome challenges. And this learning Sofia takes for life. This was the valuable lesson that the girl used to start her academic life.
In her text, the resident of Brasília (DF) details the history of the dish, citing the sad period of slavery in Brazil. The young woman explains that feijoada was prepared by and for enslaved people, using only what was left of the pig meat served to the colonizers.
Sofia makes analogies, from preparing feijoada to her personal growth, as a human being. “I had to learn when to stop and set limits, just like when preparing feijoada”.
“Everyone is surprised when I talk about the topic of essay writing. ‘What do you mean talking about feijoada in academic writing?’ But everyone who reads it is surprised by its outcome”, says Sofia.
In all, the student made 18 applications, but some educational institutions have not yet released the result of the application. Sofia awaits the response from all universities to decide which one she will go to. Despite this, the likely destination is Florida, where her parents could visit her more often.
Read the full text below:
“Feijoada
In Portuguese, feijoada derives from the word “feijão” – bean. Brazilians eat beans every day, but feijoada is something special. One of the most typical foods in Brazilian history. Crucial for good old family meetings on Saturdays. The delicious smell of braised sausages, my mom’s laughter as I fail to samba, and to listen to the best thing any grandmother can say: Food is ready! This dish tells many stories, including my own. Back when Brazil was still a colony, enslaved people would cook beans with the only meat they had access to, the dismissed pork parts. Nowadays, it is paramount that a well-made feijoada must have these ingredients. They give an exceptional taste and make it unique.
Sensitivity, as those leftovers, for many, may be considered useless. However, it can add a whole new flavor when properly nurtured. For years I blamed myself for being too intense. I thought it made me look fragile. Occasionally, whenever I had a crisis, my dad – also a sensitive person – would advise me that crying helped us gain strength and overcome any difficulty. Owing to him, I learned to be proud of my sensitivity. It is part of my personality and doesn’t make me weak.
Cooking feijoada could be considered a form of art. Not only for all the mixed ingredients but also for the process it takes. You must know when to start and when to end it. It is usual for a 15-year-old girl not to master this art quite yet. My English teacher needed help creating social media content to sell online classes, and I volunteered as a freelance marketing consultant and media creator – a fancy name that I didn’t know back then. So I dived into the world of and fell hard for it. With my teacher’s support, I started studying the power of verbal and non-verbal communication and understanding its importance for small and global businesses.
By the time I got to my senior year, managing school and work was hard, but I still hadn’t felt that burning smell. Strict schedules helped me cope with finishing my daily tasks and working for more clients. But the Brazilian educational system requires advanced knowledge of various subjects, which turned work into a much more challenging assignment at that moment. And there was the smell. I was overcooking. I had to learn when to stop and set boundaries, just like when timing feijoada. Sometimes there’s too much on your plate, and I realized that you must prioritize what’s most vital for yourself without compromising life’s true flavor.
An excellent feijoada must have its seasoning – all kinds of pepper, bay leaves, fresh chives, and garlic. As the little things that make life worth living. Happiness doesn’t come only from significant events or achievements. Sure, those are awesome. But to notice the minor happenings in daily life is priceless – the smell of damp soil when the rain comes after a long drought. Ace a difficult test. To hear your grandma call for your favorite meal.
Like beans build the foundation of feijoada, the meat and the seasoning form its essence. Sometimes, life can bring up what seems unimportant, but now I know that even a pinch can be fundamental, and I have learned to embrace every part of my personality. Today, I understand the value of each ingredient in this dish, every piece of me that makes me extraordinary, and I am keen to say:
Food is ready.”
IN PORTUGUESE:
“Feijoada
In Portuguese, feijoada derives from the word ‘feijão’. Brazilians eat beans every day, but feijoada is something special. One of the most typical foods in Brazilian history. Crucial for good old Saturday family gatherings. The delicious smell of braised sausage, Mom’s laughter while I stop dancing, and hearing the best thing any grandmother can say: The food is ready!
This dish tells many stories, including mine. When Brazil was still a colony, enslaved people cooked beans with the only meat they had access to, discarded pieces of pork. Nowadays, it is essential that a well-made feijoada has these ingredients. They give an exceptional taste and make it unique. Sensitivity, because these leftovers, for many, can be considered useless. However, it can add a whole new flavor when properly nourished.
For years I blamed myself for being too intense. I thought it made me look fragile. Occasionally, whenever I had a crisis, my father – also a sensitive person – would advise me that crying helped us to gain strength and overcome any difficulty. Thanks to him, I learned to be proud of my sensitivity. It’s part of my personality and doesn’t make me weak.
Cooking feijoada can be considered an art form. Not only for all the ingredients mixed together, but also for the process. You must know when to start and when to end. It’s normal for a 15-year-old girl not to master this art yet.
My English teacher needed help creating social media content to sell classes online and I volunteered as a freelance consultant and media creator – a fancy name I didn’t know at the time. So I dove into the world of and fell in love with it. With my teacher’s support, I began to study the power of verbal and non-verbal communication and understand its importance for small businesses and global businesses.
By the time I got to my senior year, managing school and work was tough, but I still didn’t get ‘that burning smell’. Strict schedules helped me finish my daily tasks and work for more clients. But the Brazilian educational system requires advanced knowledge of several disciplines, which made the job a much more challenging task at that time. And there was the smell. I was overcooking. I had to learn when to stop and set boundaries, just like with feijoada. Sometimes there’s too much on your plate, and I’ve come to realize that you must prioritize what’s most vital to yourself without compromising the true flavor of life.
An excellent feijoada must have its seasoning – all kinds of pepper, bay leaf, fresh chives and garlic. Like the little things that make life worthwhile. Happiness doesn’t just come from significant events or accomplishments. Sure, those are awesome. But noticing the smallest happenings of everyday life is priceless – the smell of damp earth when the rain comes after a long dry spell, a difficult test, hearing your grandmother ask for your favorite meal.
Just as beans are the basis of feijoada, the meat and spices form its essence. Sometimes life can bring out what seems unimportant, but now I know that even a pinch can be critical, and I’ve learned to embrace every part of my personality. Today I understand the value of every ingredient in this dish, every piece of me that makes me extraordinary, and I am excited to say: The food is ready.”