Ethnic cooking in Brazil ranges from the national favourite feijoada to hot and spicy caruru.
The images in most people's minds when thinking about Brazil are football, beaches and samba. But what is known about this country's cuisine? It's true that Brazilian food hasn't received as much acclaim in the past as Chinese, Thai and Indian dishes. But things are starting to change and more notice is being given to the delicious and diverse food that Brazil has to offer.
Each region of the country has a different specialty according to the dominant ethnic group in that state. Brazilian restaurants are popping up in many North American cities and are commonly associated with all-you-can-eat barbecued foods usually with a salad bar tucked away in a corner.
The national dish of Brazil is feijoada, a hearty black bean and meat stew simmered for several hours and traditionally eaten for lunch on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's served with white rice, shredded kale, slices of fresh orange and farofa, the starchy manioc flour sprinkled over many foods in Brazil. It is found on tables all over the country just as salt and pepper is in North America and Europe. After eating feijoada most Brazilians limit their activity for the rest of the day because it takes a long time to digest.
The state of Bahia in the northeastern part of the country is the African heart of Brazil. Dishes in this region are typically cooked with dende oil (palm oil). Among the specialties that can be found here are caruru, a thick stew made with shrimps, okra, onions and tomatoes as well as dende oil. People visiting Brazil for the first time should eat this oil in small quantities until their stomachs become accustomed to it. There's vatapa, a fish stew containing ground peanuts and coconut milk, and moqueca, with crab and a variety of fish.
The Portuguese colonists who first came to Brazil have contributed many savoury and sweet breads. Pao de queijo are small deep fried cheese rolls made with tapioca flour and can be found all over Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Other light snacks include empadinhas, which are basically mini pies stuffed with beef, cheese or other ingredients.
Brazil is now famous for its abundance and variety of fruit. Many of them have no English names because they don't exist anywhere else. There's acerola, with a rich cherry flavour and full of vitamin C, and acai which is now becoming popular among North American consumers. These and many others are made into juices and can be found at any "lojas de sucos" (juice bar). The Amazon region of Brazil is where most of these exotic fruits come from. More familiar juice flavours are uva (grape), laranja (orange) and maracuja (passion fruit). Even more refreshing are vitaminas (large fruity milkshakes).
Portions are enormous in Brazil so be prepared to gain a few pounds. And vegetarians take note that Brazilian menus emphasize meat, and therefore might have to make special requests ahead of time.
