Discover goat in the hole, a typical dish from Paraíba cuisine

The search for Brazilian flavors inevitably comes across the culinary traditions of the Northeast . The mix of spices and historical heritage with a touch of Brazilian creativity results in extremely appetizing dishes, punctuated by the work of communities and small producers.

For the special season CNN Travel & Gastronomy: Flavors of Brazil , I took a quick dive into what we can call northeastern cuisine, with a selection of flavors and ingredients from the states of Maranhão and Bahia .

But a third territory entered the radar and surprised me with the range of culinary delights : Paraíba . Home to almost 4 million inhabitants, the state enchants beyond the paradisiacal coastline , going from the backlands, passing through the Cariri and reaching the sertão, for example.

One of the best-kept wonders is precisely its cuisine, which is also influenced by indigenous and African roots . It blends with northeastern cuisine, but maintains irresistible particularities.

Onildo Rocha and the armorial kitchen

To delve a little deeper into the culinary world that makes up Paraíba, there's nothing better than having the company of chef Onildo Rocha , a Paraíba native who carries the traditions of his land in his heart — and stomach.

The fruits of this work can be enjoyed at Notiê , a restaurant in the center of São Paulo recommended by the Michelin Guide and which operates in seasons , each one guided by regional flavors and biomes. One of the seasons was “Sertões”, in which the chef served, for example, a reinterpretation of couscous with goat, a dish easily found at Paraíba markets.

For my visit to the kitchen of the Notiê restaurant, Onildo organized the counter with a delicious variety of ingredients and seasonings, as a small sample of the best that Paraíba has to offer. Red rice, bell peppers, chili peppers, coriander stalks and leaves are some of the items that I recognize.

Green beans are also there, which reminds me that every corner of the country has its own type of bean, such as cowpeas, also widely consumed in the Northeast, and Santarém beans, typical of western Pará and the Lower Amazon.

In the studies for the recordings of CNN Travel & Gastronomy, one of the typical dishes from Paraíba that was mentioned most was goat in the hole .

“It’s a very famous dish. It’s actually goat meat that we make with vegetables, chili peppers and gherkins, surrounded by regional seasonings. The meat is placed in a pot and buried in a hole covered with embers, where it is left for 12 hours, turning into a pressure cooker. The result is a stew in its own broth,” explains Onildo.

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