Editing Farofa (section)

{{Short description|Toasted cassava flour}}
[[Image:Farofa brazil.jpg|thumb|Farofa]]
{{Brazilian cuisine}}
'''''Farofa''''' ({{IPA|pt-BR|fa'ɾɔfɐ|lang}}) is a type of [[Flour|meal]] made from toasted [[cassava]].<ref name="zeldes" />  It is eaten mainly in [[Brazil]].  It can be found commercially produced and packaged but can also be prepared at home based on family recipes.  Most recipes will also contain varying amounts of [[salt]], [[smoked meat]], and [[spice]]s.  The consistency of the mixture ranges from large grains the size of cracked [[bulgur wheat]] or couscous down to a table-salt-sized powder. Most ''farofas'' have a very smoky and slightly salty taste, by and large used to accentuate the taste of meat, particularly barbecued meat and hearty stews.

In Brazil, where ''farofa'' is particularly popular, typical recipes call for raw cassava flour to be toasted with abundant butter, vegetable oil or olive oil, salt, [[bacon]], [[onion]]s, [[garlic]], [[sausage]], or [[olive]]s until golden brown. It is sometimes served as an accompaniment to [[Feijoada (à brasileira)|Brazilian ''feijoada'']]<ref name="zeldes">{{Cite web |last=Zeldes |first=Leah A. |authorlink=Leah A. Zeldes |title=Eat this! Hearty Brazilian feijoada, just in time for Carnival! |work=Dining Chicago |publisher=Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide |date=February 3, 2010 |url=http://blog.diningchicago.com/2010/02/03/eat-this-hearty-brazilian-feijoada-just-in-time-for-carnival/ |format= |doi= |access-date=February 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212233129/http://blog.diningchicago.com/2010/02/03/eat-this-hearty-brazilian-feijoada-just-in-time-for-carnival/ |archive-date=February 12, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Churrasco|Brazilian ''churrasco'']]. In Brazil, farofa is also used in a stuffing for [[poultry]] and other dishes, usually containing [[raisins]], [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]], and/or finely chopped sweet fruits like [[apples]] and [[bananas]]. In the state of [[Bahia]], it is common for farofa to be prepared with [[Palm oil|dendê oil]], giving it a stronger taste and a rich yellow coloring.

Farofa is served alongside the main course and can either be sprinkled on by individual diners to their taste before eating, or eaten as an accompaniment in its own right, as [[rice]] is often consumed. Besides cassava, corn meal is also used for farofa making.

In West Africa, a variant of cassava flour known as [[garri]] is used in various dishes.