Flavours of the working class w/ Rafael

Rafael grew up in Brazil eating feijão tropeiro, a dish that stayed with him as he moved from São Paulo to London, Lisbon and now Rotterdam. It comes from Southeast Brazil, where travelling traders in the 18th and 19th centuries needed food that could last and be made from what was available. Beans, cassava flour and cured meats came together into something filling and practical, shaped by movement.

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About the dish

Working class food is not only about necessity, it is also creative. It is less about exact measurements than about a spirit that continues to change as it moves. In Rafael’s version, the dish keeps its core of cassava flour and beans, while adapting to the place he lives and works now -Rotterdam-, with Dutch bruine bonen, snijbonen, kale, smoked tempeh and served with rice.

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Prepared by Rafael in collaboration with Dispositif for International Workers’ Day, this dish reflects a shared belief in food and cinema that remain accessible. We hope that food can be delicious, accessible and nourishing. This is a dish not for distinction, but one that is generous and meant to bring people of all kinds together around the table.

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From builders to travellers, from management to creatives, we are all part of the same system, and things are only better when they are better for all of us. This is a plate for a working day, for the people who keep things moving.

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