Brazil Food and Drink

Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine is the result of the amazing marriage of Portuguese culinary traditions, Indian and African, with inputs Italian, Slavic, Jewish and even Arab. Apart from Bahia, where the African influence is predominant, and Belém (Indian influence), it is impossible to disentangle the various influences.

Dishes

- Feijoada: This is the national dish of Brazil. In restaurants, it is traditionally served on Saturday evening. Beans are simmered with feet, tails and ears of salt pork, brisket and smoked sausage, meat smoked beef, all flavored with garlic and onions back to palm oil.

- São Paulo or Minas Gerais has Virada: the bean is transformed into a puree. Served with rice, collard greens and served with pork chops, roast of pork rinds and bananas breaded.

- Carne do Sol (carne seca) of beef salted and smoked. With mashed cassava is the star of the gastronomy of the Northeast.

- Farofa: fried manioc meal to which is added to the selection of small pieces of carne do sol, sausage, eggs, beans, herbs and onions.

- Moqueca of peixe or Camarão: it brings back the fish or shellfish with onion, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes in coconut milk and it finishes cooking with palm oil. Served with rice and a pirão.

- Empadão: large pie stuffed with meat or shrimp with hearts of palm and other vegetables. As much revenue as houses.

- Cuscus: couscous Brazil. Nothing to do with the Maghreb, this is a cake of cornmeal, stuffed shrimp and sardines, with pieces of vegetables. Two types of cuscus predominant: the Paulista and cuscus cuscus bahiano.

- Vatapi: delicious puree made from bread or wheat flour, including shrimp, coconut milk, ginger, cashew nuts, spices, etc.. One of the most famous dishes of Bahian cuisine, known throughout Brazil.

- Buchada Carneiro: a triumph of Pernambuco kitchen! Belly stuffed with sheep guts and offal, prepared in a stew with herbs and cooked in court bouillon.

- Churrasco is a major "sports" in Brazil. His reputation is gaucho country. This is the grilled beef.

- Pernil assado: whole ham, fresh roasted, with farofa and grilled pork rinds. São Paulo and Minas Gerais tradition.

- Pao de queijo: are found throughout the country. A kind of small cabbage cheese, sometimes filled with different sauces. Appetizers.

- Salgados: an institution. Snacks sold for next to nothing in many bars, and Padaria lanchonetes form of fried salted meat, fish, cheese or vegetables. To nibble on or off the premises.

- Pudim: dessert, excellent small blanks milky and sweet at will.

- Pé de Moleque: a candy made from peanuts and caramel, a kind of nougat. Sold on street stalls, including Paraty and Salvador, which also offer the bolo do estudante, gelatinous cake made from coconut, coated cashews.

- Romeo e Julieta: guava pulp which is eaten with cheese Mineiro (like feta). A marriage of sweet and salty. Very popular.

- Fruits: wide variety of shapes and flavors.

Beverages

Soft drinks

- Water: Do not necessarily tap water and drink bottled water. Brazil has an infinite number of excellent natural sources.

- Cafezinho ("small coffee"): a national institution. Everywhere, if you need to wait, you the offer.

- Guaraná: the national soda. Prepared from the fruit of the guarana plant exclusively Brazilian Amazon, but this version of guaraná soft drink has nothing to do with the original version of the Indians, which is a real exciting!

- Guaraná em po: a traditional Indian beverage, the virtues of energy, balancing and toning.

- Sucos and vitamins in any bar or greasy spoon, drink the fresh juice prepared in a blender. A health treatment based on vitamins.

- Mate: drink traditional colonial. An infusion of the herb material - yerba mate. Toning and balancing plant, the material is consumed in two forms, very different!

- The cha maté: infusion of the herb roasted, which gives a dark brown tea.

- The material of chimarão: the national drink of southern Brazil, especially the gauchos. The green grass, dried and chopped, prepared as a tea in a small gourd individual.

- Caldo de Cana: juice of sugar cane crushed and pressed directly into machines. Sweet juice and taste fairly neutral, sometimes decorated with lime: dynamite vitamin for next to nothing.

Everywhere in the streets, in markets

- Coco verde: everywhere too, in the streets, on beaches or along roads, strong men armed with machetes took off a scalp to the skull with green coconut milk drink with a straw. One can also buy it in bottles.

- Phicol: acts of sorbets, which sucks on a stick like an Eskimo, sold in the streets or beaches.

Alcoholic beverages

- Cachaça: also called pinga or aguardente. With beer, it's one of the most popular alcoholic beverages. It is a small agricultural rum titration.

- Caïpirinha: literally, the "little country girl." A cocktail made from cachaça, crushed ice well softened, crushed lime and sugar cane. A ritual required.

- Beers: The national drink, the Brazilians have a way to serve iced. The heavy drinkers to lengthen a glass of cachaça!

- Wine: There are wine growing interest mainly from the South, cabernet franc grape. But they are nowhere near the quality of wines from Argentina or Chile.