A dinner with strangers at the table, a set menu, a scheduled time, and a reservation required. Nothing could be more contemporary, one might say. But there is a delicious historical detail: the scene described took place in Rio de Janeiro in the early nineteenth century.

Falamos da boa e tradicional carne assada preparada com o peito bovino. É assim que o padeiro Rafa Brito (@theslowbaker) faz a sua suculenta homenagem aos assados que remetem à influência inglesa no Rio, na primeira metade do século XIX - usualmente preparados em fornos profissionais de padaria ante

Little-known Brazilian ingredients such as pacová and long pepper spices and native bee honey bring the taste and aroma of the forest.

In 19th-century Rio de Janeiro, hygiene concerns made the use of human hands a major problem. As early as 1884, the French baker Delmilhac advertised his bakery as an example of technical advancement: mechanical kneader, special oven, and "less human contact with the dough."

Around November, the topic of French toast used to dominate Rio de Janeiro newspapers, always associated with other Christmas dishes that had nothing to do with turkey. Turkey was an English thing, then an American one.

Rafa Brito Pereira (@theslowbaker) has always managed to attract consumers seeking quality to unlikely places. His Slow Bakery (@theslowbakery), now in a less unusual location, continues to make the best bread in Rio for 10 years, and still attracts a crowd that arrives with luggage straight...