Photo: Fernando Mendes

PRATO FEITO: Rice, Beans, Steak, Fries And Salad—Fried Egg Optional.

The Prato Feito, or "ready-made plate", is an everyday affordable old-school Brazilian dish that can be found in a variety of combinations in restaurants all around Brazil. Garnished with beans, a choice of meat, salad and sometimes a fried egg, the dish's building foundations is rice .

In fact, Rice is brazil third most consumed food—after coffee and black beans. Not surprisingly then, Brazil is the largest producer and consumer of rice outside Asia

One of the consequences of this vast industry are rice husks. Until recently, discarted husks would mostly be left to decompose in large fields—a process that can take up to 15 years and releases greenhouse gases as it happens.

All this is changing. In the past few years, OBRA® supplier ORYSASIL® developed a method to transform discarted rice husks into commercially viable bi-products, one of which is silica—an essential component in the production of rubber.

OBRA® USES SILICA MADE FROM DISCARDED RICE HUSKS TO PRODUCE ITS OUTSOLES

OBRA® featured photographer Fernando Mendes points us to one of his favored São Paulo Prato Feito spot where he orders de dish with "Carne de Panela".