Call me optimistic, but I think this summer will be nothing like the one we had to endure in 2023. It’s raining a lot here in São Paulo, the temperature is reasonable and we can go for a walk in the rain because it’s not raining to the point where you would need an umbrella - at least not for me, anyway.

Another great piece of news is that 2024 marks the year when Halloween candies finally became established in our ultra-processed food industry. We had a few random items last year, of course, but what I saw at the market last month made me believe that this culture is here to stay. In fact, I just ate a whole box of Paçoquita, a Brazilian candy made with peanuts and sugar, processed and put together in a round shape.

And the name of the flavour was the best part: “at midnight I’ll tell you (meia-noite te conto)”. The package has a vampire as handsome as Lestat, a graveyard, tree branches, spider webs and lots of fog (I definitely am going to keep it as a souvenir). Oh, and did I tell you that this Paçoquita leaves your tongue blue? I may die of cancer because of the toxins this industry puts on my food, but at least I’ll die a happy person.

(Brazilian girl writing about Brazilian things)