Antônio Carlos Jobim at the table

In Rio in the 1950s–1960s, the day revolves around the *almoço*, the big midday meal: a *prato* (single plate) where rice, black beans, and farofa accompany a meat, followed by a strong *cafezinho*. In the evening, in the Ipanema bars where bossa nova was born, it's time for *petisco* (small bites to nibble) and *batida* or *caipirinha* sipped between chords. No French-style starter/main/dessert: everything is about rhythm, like the music.

Two pillars of the Carioca table: the black bean, base of feijoada and symbol of Brazilian miscegenation, and cachaça, the sugarcane spirit that makes the caipirinha sing. Jobim, child of Ipanema, was steeped in this cuisine of sunshine and syncopation.