Brazilian cuisine is a culinary synthesis of Portuguese, Indian, French and African cuisines, but its core is still authentic Brazilian cuisine.
Brazilian national cuisine
The country often cooks “karuru” (a dish of salted shrimp and vegetables with a spicy sauce) and “cascino de carangeiju” (crabs with spices). As a side dish, rice, beans, cassava or tapioca are mainly used (all of which are seasoned with various sauces). In Brazil, herbs and vegetables are widely used - here shoots of palm trees are salted or pickled, bananas with chicken are fried or stewed, beans with various ingredients are fried in oil.
If we talk about the peculiarities of Brazilian cuisine inherent in different regions, then, for example, in the northeast, jerky meat, shrimp stewed with herbs, lobster in coconut milk are popular; and in the west - alligator meat dishes.
Popular Brazilian dishes:
- “Feijoada” (a dish of black beans, garlic, pepper, dried meat, pork, smoked sausage);
- “Guasado de tartaruga” (stewed turtle dish);
- “Sarapeteu” (a dish of boiled pork heart and liver with pepper, onion and tomatoes);
- "Kokhinya" (fried potato balls stuffed with pork or chicken);
- Takaka (thick yellow soup with garlic and dry shrimp);
- “Embalaya” (vegetable and meat stew with hot sauce).
Where to taste the national cuisine?
Some restaurants serve an aperitif, so if you don't want it included on your bill, you can politely send the aperitif back. Since portions of some dishes in Brazilian food establishments are designed for two, you can safely take one main course for two. Separately, mention should be made of the churrasco restaurants (specializing in cooking meat): here you can eat as much as you like, paying for the entrance and drinks.
In Sao Paulo, you can visit “Capim Santo” (guests are treated here with fried tuna, tapioca dessert, shrimps with coconut milk sauce), in Rio de Janeiro - “Doce Delicia” (here they serve national dishes in the form of a salad with papaya and salmon in soy sauce, as well as chocolate pie with Brazilian coffee), in El Salvador - “Ki-Mukeka” (the specialty of this restaurant is a moqueca dish of seafood stewed in palm oil with spices).
Cooking classes in Brazil
In Brazil, namely in Ouro Preto, you can take a 5-day culinary course at the Academy of Cooking and Other Pleasures, which will introduce those who wish to Brazilian cuisine. In addition, such a course involves visiting the market, sugar and coffee plantations.
When can you come to Brazil? Arrival is worth planning, for example, for the “Taste of Brazil” gastronomic festival (May-June).
