Brazilian fermented beverages: historical-semantic considerations on aluás

Abstract

This article is a brief reflection on the trajectory of the term aluá, questioning how a single denomination was ultimately assigned to various unrelated Brazilian fermented beverages differentiated by several widely agreed factors such as the fermented base elements (corn, rice, or pineapple) and preparation techniques utilized (which may include simmering and insalivation of the must, for example). How did these elements become intertwined in the collective perception and vocabulary to reflect a pact of semantic adequacy in which a single term applied to distinct beverages? In an attempt to find an answer, we map the few mentions and descriptions of these fermented products which appear in a variety of Portuguese-language documents spanning a long period of Brazilian history. Ultimately, we maintain that different names with flexible definitions, coupled with a lack of common objectivity in determining how certain beverages were designated, underwent changes in meaning as different fermented products were also developed and became common parts of daily life in Brazil, and were ultimately referred to as aluás because of common elements in their preparation.

Keywords
Aluá ; Fermented beverages; Historical semantics; Brazil