Virado à paulista stacks beans, pork, kale, rice, fried egg and banana on one plate, a bandeirante-era meal the state of Sao Paulo named cultural heritage in 2018.

The story of Virado à paulista

Virado traces to the earliest bandeirante expeditions inland from Sao Paulo, when explorers carried beans, corn flour and dried meat in their packs; jostled together on the trail, the ingredients turned and mixed, giving the dish its name, from virar, to turn. The earliest written mention dates to a 1602 expedition account. Cassava flour replaced corn flour in the 18th century and rice joined the plate in the 19th. The full plate layers tutu de feijao (mashed, seasoned beans), braised couve, a pork chop, fried linguica, torresmo, a fried egg and fried banana. Sao Paulo's Condephaat council registered virado à paulista as intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

How to make Virado à paulista

Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

Method

  1. Heat half the lard, sautee onion and garlic, then mash in the cooked beans with a little of their liquid until thick and creamy. Stir in the cassava flour gradually until the mixture holds together, then keep warm.
  2. Season and fry the pork chops in a hot pan until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
  3. Fry the linguica in the same pan until browned, then the torresmo briefly to warm through.
  4. Quickly stir-fry the couve in a hot pan with a little oil for 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted.
  5. Fry the eggs sunny-side up and the banana slices until golden on both sides.
  6. Plate the bean mixture, rice, pork, linguica, torresmo, couve, a fried egg and banana all together on one plate.

Editor tip. Fry the banana in the same pan as the pork for extra flavour; it should be soft but still hold its shape.

The editor picks for Virado à paulista in São Paulo are still in research. Meanwhile, see the São Paulo signature-dishes index or the São Paulo food guide.