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A helpful guide to the
cuisine of Brazil
for diners and travelers
by an established authority

Why Brazilian Cuisine
is special
Brazilian cuisine has distant culinary roots. Recipes are greatly influenced by
culinary styles from the continents of Europe and Africa. This produces a fascinating
variety of tastes and aromas.

Culinary history
in brief
The Portuguese colonists who settled in Brazil in the early sixteenth century
found a sparse Indian population. Fish, land game, jungle fruit, and manioc were
the staples of the rather limited, somewhat monotonous Indian diet. This cuisine
was subsequently broadened by the many newcomers including the conquering
Portuguese and the enslaved Africans. This resulted in three major Brazilian culinary
styles: Cariocan, Bahian and Paulista (see below).

Cariocan cuisine
Originated in Rio de Janeiro in the mid-south. Though mainly influenced by
Portuguese cooking, Cariocan cuisine
has developed unique local culinary characteristics. Must-try preparations
of this Brazilian Cuisine include:

Feijoda
Completa - This is the most famous Brazilian Cuisine dish. It is an assortment of meats
such as smoked tongue, jerked and fresh beef, pork, smoked and fresh sausages,
and pigs' feet and ears. These foods are arranged on a platter and accompanied
by side dishes of black beans, rice, shredded kale, hot chili sauce, and orange
slices. Manioc meal (ground cassava root) is then sprinkled over practically
everything.

Tutu
de Feijoa - A side dish of whole cooked black beans served with pureed black
beans. An elaborate variant is Tutu a Meneira (pureed black beans mixed with
eggs, pork, and Portuguese-style linguica sausage).

Bahian cuisine
Thrives in the mid-north along the east coast. This Brazilian Cuisine style was
highly
influenced by the African slaves who were imported to work the plantations.
Flavors are robust. Most ingredients are West African in origin or spirit, which
is not surprising considering that Bahia resembles West Africa in geography and
climate. The classic Bahian dish is:

Vatapa
de Camarao & Peixe - Fresh shrimp and fish in a thick sauce made with dried
shrimp, coconut milk, nuts, and dende (a palm-nut cooking oil).

  

Paulista Cuisine
From the city of Sao Paulo situated some 200 miles south of Rio. It is the
most subtle and delicate of the three major Brazilian Cuisine styles. Besides
owing some of its character to the Portuguese, West Africans and Aborigines, it
has been influenced by the Italians, Germans, and other Europeans who settled in
Brazil in great numbers. An interesting local specialty is:

Cuscuz
Paulista - Cornmeal steamed and molded with meats and vegetables, somewhat
like the famous cracked wheat Couscous of North Africa.

Brazilian Cuisine
national characteristics

Desserts,
and cooking in general, tend to be relatively sweet, a fact indicative of the
Iberian heritage.

Throughout
the most populated regions of Brazil, black beans and rice sprinkled with
Farinha de Mandioca (manioc meal) are the staff of life.

Also
quite common is the lime-spiked hot sauce Molho de Pimenta e Limao, as well as
Palmitos (hearts of palm used in salads, soups and main dishes) and fruit pastes
(made from guava, banana, quince, peach, mango or coconut).

Beverages

Coffee
- Brazilians like to drink it in the form of small cups of sweet, strong
black coffee. Brazil grows approximately one-third of the world's coffee.

Guarana
- This popular soft drink is produced from dried berries, water (or carbonated
water), and sugar. Admirers claim it gives them increased energy and endurance.

Yerba
Mate - Brazilians, like Paraguayans and Argentineans, adore this herb tea.

Cachaca
- A potent, clear sugar-cane brandy that is the traditional accompaniment of
Feijoada Completa. Many locals drink it straight or use it in making the
renowned Caipirinha and Batida Paulista cocktails.

Also learn
about these
exciting
world cuisines



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