Brazilian Cuisine
The three most traditional dishes of Rio de Janeiro are Feijoada, Bacalhoada, and Tutu à Mineira. Rice and beans is also a dominant dish there. Many of these foods are not as common to Rio as they are to other regions of Brazil. The population is a mix of many cultures, such as Portugese, African, Italian, Spanish, German, Asian, and more. This is reflected in the food.
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| Feijoada |
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| This is traditionally a slave dish but has become the national dish of brazil. It is made of beans, various pieces of pig (foot, ear, tail), ham hocks, pepperoni, pork or beef ribs, bacon, onions, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. It is also served with rice, but this is an extremely heavy meal as it is. |
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| Bacalhoada |
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| This was also a traditional slave food. It consists of salt cod, sliced potatoes, black olives, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, onions, and peppers. This is a much lighter and healthier dish than Feijoada. |
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| Tutu à Mineira |
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| This is a Bean Puree. Beans, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley are placed in a food processor and mixed into a cream. It is also served with sausage, onions, and hard boiled eggs with rice and chili on the side. |
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| Caipirinha |
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| This is a lime drink with sugar and a shot of Brazilian Sugarcane liqueur. It goes great with barbecue. |
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| Açaí berries |
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| These berries are considered a “Super Food.” They are harvested in the Brazilian rain forest. Their juice contains more vitamins and minerals than any other fruit and nothing else can match their antioxidant level. It is also delicious! |
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| Prato Feito |
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| A true Prato Feito consists of rice, a big piece of meat, fries or potatoes and salad. Usually, it is only available in cheap and popular restaurants. This will fill you up for a low price. |
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| Coxinha |
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| These are deep fried dough filled with chicken. They can vary in size and even be bite-sized. |
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| Pizza |
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| Brazilian pizza is paper thin and has less cheese than American. The tomato sauce is freshly made from ripe tomatoes. Chicken, pork, and beef are the most popular toppings. So the pizza is, in general, pretty meaty. |
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| Churrasco(Barbecue) |
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| When barbecuing beef, lamb, veal, ribs, etc. in the South of Brazil, it is common to cook the meat a good distance away from the fire. This makes it take longer to cook, but pieces are cut from the outside and eaten as they get cooked. This makes the barbecue into more of a long event than a meal. |
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| Cavaquinha |
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| Small lobsters native to brazil that are sweet and delicate. They have the most delicious tails in the world. |
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| Casquinha de Siri |
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| Crab shells stuffed with a mixture of minced crabmeat, cilantro and hot peppers, topped with grated cheese |
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| Bobo de Camarao |
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| Fresh shrimp in a puree of dried shrimp, manioc meal, coconut milk and nuts, flavored with a palm oil called dende. Can be spicy. |
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| Picanha |
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| Was once a slave dish. A popular cut of steak sometimes served with fried sweet potatoes. |
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| Peixe na Telha |
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| Grilled Fish. |
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| Doce de Leite |
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| A Flavored Cake Mix. A rich, soft caramel mixture made from thickened milk and sugar. It is sometimes put in small pastry shells. |
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| Frango Ensopado |
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| Chicken cuts sautéed with annato(A small, spicy seed) in a sauce. |
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| Rabada |
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| Boiled Oxtail. It may be breaded. It looks exotic, but it tastes great. |
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| Bolinhos de Queijo |
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| Fried appetizers that are served as before dinner rituals. Balls of cheese (fish or vegetables) served with special sauces. |
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| Beer |
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| There are no licensing hours or restrictions on drinking in Brazil. Chopp (Draught Beer) is very good. Cachaça is a type of rum made by locals. Southern Brazil is known for high quality wine. |
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| Farofa |
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| Toasted manioc meal (yucca shrub) Farofa can also be customized with olives, prunes, bacon, sausage, cashew nuts, banana, etc. |
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| Pato no tucupi |
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| Baked duck in cassava sauce. Most popular in the Amazon provinces of Brazil |
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| Polenta |
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| Polenta is similar to corn grits, but is made with ordinary cornmeal while grits are made from corn that has been processed into hominy. There are many different types of polenta, such as basic or soft polenta. There are also other versions of this in countries such as Italy. |
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| Papaya |
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| A fruit that grows in the tropical region of South America. Often eaten in Brazil for breakfast. Papaya has an enzyme that soothes the stomach and calms indigestion. Pitanga, cupuacu, tapereba are only some of many Brazilian fruits not found on U.S. menus. |
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| Acarajé |
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| An acarajé is deep-fried "bread" made from mashed beans from which the skins have been removed. The mash is deep fried in oil from a nut found on the dendé tree. Usually eaten accompanied by shrimp, hot pepper sauce, and salad, which is usually just diced tomatoes. |
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Also, if you're planning on renting an apartment in Rio de Janeiro and want to know all the best places to eat, you'll want to check out Rio for Partiers. Not only does it offer food and restaurant advice, but also has valuable information about safety, activities, nightlife, and more. It is highly recommended you pick this up if you are interested in having the most enjoyable experience you can in Rio de Janeiro. |
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