Estrada Real - Juiz de Fora

Nothing prepared me for the modernity of Juiz de Fora. It is a sprawling city filled with apartment blocks and high-rise buildings. With a population of nearly 600,000 people, the city is the fourth largest in Minas Gerais. Juiz de Fora is strategically located between the three major commercial cities - Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – and also connects Brasília, the capital of Brazil with the harbour in Rio.

When it was initially established on the newly opened Caminho Novo, the city languished in its development, but as gold mining declined, investment shifted towards coffee production. Juiz de Fora has very fertile grounds and has greatly benefited from this new industry. The city’s wealth grew and was further enhanced by the arrival of a new railway and the first hydroelectric power plant in Latin America. By the 1890s, Juiz de Fora was the largest urban area in the state.

As coffee production moved towards São Paolo, industrial and textile manufacturing became the new economy, and by the early 20th century the city was the nation's major centre. However, all this would come to an end when the bulk of the city’s wealth was used to build the state’s capital. By the 21st century, particularly after the 1930s depression era, the city was in decline and remained that way for the better part of the century. Following Brazil’s economic boom, Juiz de Fora has re-emerged as a main centre, this time in the areas of telecommunications, higher education, textile manufacturing, retail, steel mills and automotive factories such as Mercedes-Benz.

Multicultural due to immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and China, the city has developed a wonderful variety of cuisines. Local flavours along with those from Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, China and Japan all intertwine in this cosmopolitan place. The greatest difficulty is choosing which one to have.

Of course, since I am in Brazil the local cuisine is of greatest interest. For any meat lover, one must try the Brazilian barbecue known as churrascaria, skewered meat that comes in a wide variety of cuts. Starting with a high-quality cut, the meat is slow-roasted rotisserie-style, locking in its juices and flavour. Similar to Greek gyros, once the top layer of the meat has browned, it is sliced off and served. A word of advice, the selections are endless and servings plentiful, this is an experience best shared with family and friends.

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