Terroir da carne de sol de Campo Maior, Piauí - Brasil

Abstract

The term terroir originates from French and means land; this concept encompasses both natural factors and human actions involved in the production of a product/food. Initially, it was used to describe fine wines produced in noble lands and over the years it has evolved to conceptualize typical food products from specific regions. The objective of this study was to recover important information about the natural and human characteristics involved in Campo Maior's sun-dried beef and to try to demonstrate that this delicacy is unique and represents the city as well as a heritage of its people. The research was carried out through a bibliographic survey in books, articles, and databases. The findings demonstrate that Campo Maior's sun-dried beef is produced using the Pé-Duro Curraleiro cattle breed; these animals use as pasture mainly mimoso grass and carnauba leaves and fruits. These pastures, together with the genetics of the breed, confer characteristics of a darker meat, rich in tenderness, texture, and unique organoleptic characteristics. This food is widely consumed and accepted by the entire population, and it meets the minimum requirements of the INPI (Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property) to obtain the geographical indication registration as sun-dried meat from Campo Maior.