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If pasta is Italy’s gift to the world, then beans and rice are America’s—quiet, comforting, and reliable.

I’ve eaten variations of this dish in at least five different countries. It’s big in Cuba. Beloved in Brazil. Found in Puerto Rican kitchens, Guatemalan comedores, and Southern soul food. You see, the soul of beans and rice transcends borders.

My first memory of it is from a missionary training center in São Paulo. No menu. Just one plate: beans and rice with a side of fried plantains and a thin cut of beef. Thought I was getting peasant food. I wasn’t wrong—but I also wasn’t ready for how satisfying it would be. Continue reading…