Brazilian cuisine is the set of cooking practices and traditions ofBrazil, and is characterized byEuropean,Amerindian,African, and Asian (Arab,Japanese, and most recently,Chinese) influences.[1] It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences.[2]
Ingredients first used by native peoples in Brazil includecashews,cassava,guaraná,açaí,cumaru, andtucupi. From there, the many waves of immigrants brought some of their typical dishes, replacing missing ingredients with local equivalents. For instance, the European immigrants (primarily fromPortugal,Italy,Spain,Germany,Netherlands,Poland, andUkraine), were accustomed to a wheat-based diet, and introducedwine,leafy vegetables, anddairy products into Brazilian cuisine. Whenpotatoes were not available, they discovered how to use the native sweetmanioc as a replacement.[3] Enslaved Africans also had a role in developing Brazilian cuisine, especially in the coastalstates. The foreign influence extended to later migratory waves;Japanese immigrants brought most of the food items that Brazilians associate with Asian cuisine today,[4] and introduced large-scale aviaries well into the 20th century.[5]
The most visible regional cuisines belong to the states ofMinas Gerais andBahia. Minas Gerais cuisine has European influence in delicacies and dairy products such asfeijão tropeiro,pão de queijo andMinas cheese, and Bahian cuisine due to the presence of African delicacies such as acarajé, abará and vatapá.
The national beverage iscoffee, whilecachaça is Brazil's nativeliquor. Cachaça is distilled from fermentedsugar canemust, and is the main ingredient in the national cocktail,caipirinha.[8]
There is not an exact single "national Brazilian cuisine", but there is an assortment of various regional traditions and typical dishes. This diversity is linked to the origins of the people inhabiting each area.
For instance, the cuisine ofBahia is heavily influenced by a mix of African, Indigenous, and Portuguese cuisines.Chili (includingchili sauces) and palm oil are very common. In the northern states, however, due to the abundance of forest and freshwater rivers, fish, fruits and cassava (including flours made of cassava) are staple foods. In the deep south, as inRio Grande do Sul, the influence shifts more towardsgaúcho traditions shared with its neighbors Argentina and Uruguay, with many meat-based products, due to this region's livestock-based economy; thechurrasco, a kind of barbecue, is a local tradition.
InGoiás State, thepequi is used in many typical foods, especially the "arroz com pequi" (rice cooked with pequi), and in snacks, mostly as a filling forpastel, in this state is very common the presence of chestnuts, and palm trees. Also, a mixture of chicken and rice known asgalinhada is very popular. The states ofMato Grosso andMato Grosso do Sul received influence from neighboring countries in their cuisine, as well as thePantanal area and its various rivers and extensive wetlands that cross these two states with a high abundance of fish.
InRio de Janeiro,São Paulo,Espírito Santo, andMinas Gerais,feijoada is popular, especially as a Wednesday or Saturday lunch. Also consumed frequently ispicadinho (literally, diced meat) andrice and beans.[9][10] In Rio de Janeiro, besides thefeijoada, a popular plate is any variation of grilled beef fillet, rice and beans,farofa, fried garlic and fried potatoes (batatas portuguesas), commonly calledfilé àOsvaldo Aranha. Seafood is very popular in coastal areas, as is roasted chicken (galeto). The strong Portuguese heritage also endowed the city with a taste forbolinhos de bacalhau (fried cod fritters), one of the most common street foods there.
In São Paulo, a typical dish isvirado à paulista, made with rice,virado de feijão (similar to atutu), sauteedkale, fried plantains or bananas and pork chops. São Paulo is also the home ofpastel, a food consisting of thinpastry envelopes wrapped around assorted fillings, then deep-fried in vegetable oil. It is a common belief that they originated whenChinese andJapanese immigrants adapted the recipe of fried spring rolls to sell as snacks at weekly street markets. São Paulo is also known forparmegianna.
In Minas Gerais, the regional dishes include corn, pork, beans, chicken (including the very typical dishfrango com quiabo, or chicken withokra),tutu de feijão (puréed beans mixed with cassava flour), and local soft-ripenedtraditional cheeses.
InEspírito Santo, there is significant Italian and German influence in local dishes, both savory and sweet.[11] The state dish, though, is ofAmerindian origin,[12] calledmoqueca capixaba, which is a tomato and fish stew traditionally prepared in apanela de Goiabeiras (pot made of clay from Goiabeiras district inVitória). Amerindian and Italian cuisine are the two main pillars of Capixaba cuisine. Seafood dishes, in general, are very popular in Espírito Santo, but unlike other Amerindian dishes, the use of olive oil is almost mandatory.Bobó de camarão, torta capixaba, andpolenta are also very popular.
In Southern Brazil, due to the long tradition inlivestock production and the heavy German immigration, red meat is the basis of the local cuisine.[13]
Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental Europe,churrasco is the term for a barbecue (similar to the Argentine or Uruguayanasado) which originated in southern Brazil. It contains a variety of meats which may be cooked on a purpose-builtchurrasqueira, a barbecue grill, often with supports for spits or skewers. Portablechurrasqueiras are similar to those used to prepare the Argentine and Uruguayan asado, with a grill support, but many Brazilianchurrasqueiras do not have grills, only the skewers above the embers. The meat may alternatively be cooked on large metal or wood skewers resting on a support or stuck into the ground and roasted with the embers of charcoal (wood may also be used, especially in the State of Rio Grande do Sul).
Since gaúchos were nomadic and lived off the land, they had no way of preserving food; the gauchos would gather together after butchering a cow, and skewer and cook the large portions of meat immediately over a wood-burning fire (not exactly as gauchos also producedcharque). The slow-cooked meat basted in its own juices and resulted in tender, flavorful steaks.[14] This style has inspired many contemporarychurrascaria which emulates the cooking style where waiters bring large cuts of roasted meat to diners' tables and carve portions to order.[15]
Thechimarrão is the regional beverage, often associated with thegaúcho image.
The Northeastern Brazilian cuisine is heavily influenced by African cuisine from the coastal areas ofPernambuco toBahia, as well as the eating habits of indigenous populations that lived in the region.
Thebobó de camarão is a dish made with cassava and shrimp (camarão).
Theacarajé is a dish made from peeledblack-eyed peas formed into a ball and then deep-fried indendê (palm oil). Often sold as street food, it is served split in half and then stuffed withvatapá andcaruru.[21] Acarajé is typically available outside of the state of Bahia as well.
In other areas, more to the west or away from the coast, the plates are most reminiscent of the indigenous cuisine, with many vegetables being cultivated in the area since before the arrival of the Portuguese. Examples includebaião de dois, made with rice and beans, dried meat, butter,queijo coalho and other ingredients. Jaggery is also heavily identified with the Northeast, as it iscarne-de-sol,paçoca de pilão, andbolo de rolo.
Tapioca flatbreads or pancakes are also commonly served for breakfast in some states, with a filling of either coconut, cheese or condensed milk, butter, and certain meats. They can also be filled with dessert toppings as well.
The cuisine of this region, which includes the states ofAcre,Amazonas,Amapá,Pará,Rondônia,Roraima, andTocantins, is heavily influenced by indigenous cuisine. In the state of Pará, there are several typical dishes, including:
Pato no tucupi (duck in tucupi) – one of the most famous dishes from Pará. It is associated with theCírio de Nazaré, a localRoman Catholic celebration. The dish is made withtucupi (yellow broth extracted from cassava, after the fermentation process of the broth remained after the starch had been taken off, from the raw ground manioc root, pressed by a cloth, with some water; if added maniva, the manioc ground up external part, that is poisonous because of thecyanic acid, and so must be cooked for several days). After cooking, the duck is cut into pieces and boiled intucupi sauce for some time. Thejambu is boiled in water with salt, drained, and put on the duck. It is served with white rice and manioc flour and corn tortillas.
Empadas [pt] are snacks that resemble pot pies in a small scale. They can be filled with various items, the most popular being empadas filled withhearts of palm,shrimp,chicken andcheese.
Quibe, sometimes spelledKibe, is a popularsalgadinho that was created bySyrian andLebanese immigrants as an adaption ofkibbeh.
Esfiha, sometimes spelledEsfirra, are pastries that were brought by Arab immigrants and are popular in the state ofSão Paulo.[24] They are commonly filled with ground beef, cheese, or vegetables.[25]
Other appetizers that can typically be found in Brazilian territory are:croquette,rissole, coxa-creme,cueca virada, bolinho de aipim (cassava pastries), among others.[26][27][28]
Bife à parmegiana, one of the most traditional dishes of BrazilBife a cavalo, a steak topped with an egg, served with friesFrango a passarinho, a chicken dish, as served in the state ofMinas GeraisA typical Brazilian lunch consists ofrice,beans,farofa,picanha andvinagrete prepared with chopped onion, tomato and pepper, vinegar, oilBrazilian pizza can have just about any flavor. Pictured is a half mozzarella, tomato, olives and spices (savory) and half chocolate, coconut and cherries (sweet) pizzaBrazilian hot dog withtomato,corn, batata-palha (straw-fries) andonion
Brazilian cuisine is recognized around the world for its variety and quality. The city ofSão Paulo was chosen as the 7th main gastronomic destination in the world, for its recognizedrestaurants andbars. This Brazilian city comes afterRome,London,Paris,Dubai,Barcelona andMadrid. The city of São Paulo alone has more than 9,000 restaurants and bars.
Rice and beans is an extremely popular dish, considered basic at a table; a tradition Brazil shares with several Caribbean nations. Brazilian rice and beans usually are cooked utilizing eitherlard or the nowadays more common ediblevegetable fats and oils, in a variation of the Mediterraneansofrito locally calledrefogado which usually includes garlic in both recipes.
In variation to rice and beans, Brazilians usually eatpasta (includingspaghetti,lasagne,gnocchi,lamen, andbīfun),pasta salad, various dishes using either potato or manioc, andpolenta as substitutions for rice, as well as salads, dumplings or soups of greenpeas,chickpeas,black-eyed peas,broad beans,butter beans,soybeans,lentils,moyashi (which came to Brazil due to theChinese andJapanese tradition of eating its sprouts),azuki, and other legumes in substitution for the common beans cultivated in South America since Pre-Columbian times. It is more common to eat substitutions for daily rice and beans in festivities such as Christmas and New Year's Eve (the tradition is lentils), as the follow-up ofchurrasco (mainlypotato salad/carrot salad, calledmaionese, due to the widespread use of both industrial and home-mademayonnaise, which can include egg whites, raw onion, green peas, sweetcorn or evenchayote squashes, and pronounced almost exactly as in English and French) and in other special occasions.
Either way the basis of Brazilian daily cuisine is thestarch (most often acereal), legume, protein and vegetable combination. There is also a differentiation between vegetables of theverduras group, or greens, and thelegumes group (no relation to the botanic concept), or non-green vegetables.
Churrasco is the main dish ofsouthern Brazil. Over time, other regions of Brazil adopted churrasco and created other ways of making it. The restaurant specializing in churrasco is achurrascaria.
Picanha is a typical Brazilian cut of meat, being the most appreciated by the people of the country.
Farofa, cookedcassava flour that is served as an accompaniment/condiment. Its crunchiness is especially appreciated.
Bife a cavalo: a steak topped with a fried egg, usually accompanied by French fries and sometimes salad.
Bife à parmegiana [pt]: fried steak, consisting of a sliced piece of meat, breaded with wheat flour and eggs (egg whites), topped with parmesan cheese and lots of tomato sauce and seasonings such as oregano to taste. Sometimes parmesan replaces mozzarella slices. Although it is a dish invented in Brazil and typical of Brazilian culture, generally, in the country itself, it is considered an Italian recipe.
Virado, typical dish from the state of São Paulo, where it is also known as Virado à Paulista, which consists of a pork chop, fried plantain, cassava flour beans, rice, cabbage and fried egg.
Tutu de feijão [pt], typical dish from the state of Minas Gerais, made with boiled beans, sautéed and thickened with cassava or corn flour. It is usually sautéed with pieces of fried bacon, onion and garlic, and mixed with cassava flour or corn flour depending on the type of bean.
Arroz carreteiro is a typical dish from the southern region of Brazil, made from rice to which is added finely chopped and sautéed beef, shredded or minced dried meat or sun-dried meat, sometimes paio, bacon and chorizo. in pieces, sautéed in a lot of fat, with garlic, onion, tomato and parsley, always with a lot of seasoning.
Galinhada is a typical dish from the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goiás, which consists of cooked rice and cooked chicken pieces. The seasoning is composed of saffron (which gives the rice the typical yellowish color),vinagrete (optional and to accompany), and bean tutu. The typical Goiás chicken dish contains guariroba (a type of bitter palm) and pequi.
Barreado [pt][29] is a typical dish of Parana State, Brazil. It is a slow-cooked meat stew prepared in a clay pot whose lid is sealed with a sort of clay made from wheat or cassava flour, hence the name (which means, literally, "muddied"). Traditionally, Barreado was made of buffalo meat, but nowadays it is usually made of beef, bacon, tomatoes, onion, cumin and other spices, placed in successive layers in a large clay urn, covered and then "barreada" (sealed) with a paste of ash and farinha (manioc flour), and then slowly cooked in a wood-fired oven for 12 to 18 hours. Nowadays pressure cookers and gas or electric ovens are more commonly used.[30]
Pizza is also extremely popular. It is usually made in a wood-fired oven with a thin, flexible crust, little or very little sauce, and a number of interesting toppings. While it is normal for a pizza to be thin and with few ingredients (the "traditional" Italian pizza), in Brazil it can have more than 100 flavors, savory (with ingredients such aslinguiça calabresa [pt], pepperoni, egg, tomato, poultry (either milledchicken meat or smokedturkey breast),catupiry, Canadian loin, tuna, onion and you can still find pizzas with more exotic flavors such as hamburger, stroganoff or sushi) or sweets (with flavors such aschocolate,banana withcinnamon,goiabada with cheese,fig, with scoops of ice cream, M&Ms, etc.). Traditionally olive oil is poured over the pizza, but in some regions people enjoy ketchup, mustard and even mayonnaise on pizza.
Cachorro quente is the Brazilian version ofhot dogs. It is another dish that has been modified in Brazil, practically becoming a complete lunch. There, the most common version is the "X-Tudo" (in literal translation, cheese-everything), or "Podrão" (in literal translation, "rotten", or "big rotten" due to the usually excessive amount of food in the dish), where, in addition to conventional bread and sausages with ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, it is filled with a series of additional ingredients ranging from straw fries, grated Parmesan cheese, corn kernels, peas and olives to quail eggs.
Angu is a popular side dish (or a substitution for rice replacing the "starch element" and it is commonly used inSouthern andSoutheastern Brazil). It is similar to the Italian polenta.
Arroz com pequi is a traditional dish from the BrazilianCerrado, and the symbol ofCenter-Western Brazil's cuisine. It is basically made with rice seasoned onpequi, also known as a souari nut, and often chicken.
Cuscuz branco is a dessert consisting of milledtapioca cooked withcoconut milk and sugar and is the couscous equivalent of rice pudding.
Pinhão is thepine nut of theAraucaria angustifolia, a common tree in the highlands of southern Brazil. The nuts are boiled and eaten as a snack in the winter months. It is typically eaten during thefestas juninas.
Risoto (risotto) is an Italian originated rice dish cooked with chicken, shrimp, and seafood in general or other protein staples sometimes served with vegetables, another very popular dish in Southern Brazil due to massive waves of Italian immigration.
Several types ofcheese are produced exclusively in Brazil. The characteristics vary between the different states of the country, mainly depending on the climate, type of soil and cattle diet, which causes subtle changes in the quality of the milk. The dairy-producing state ofMinas Gerais is known for most of these cheeses. Some of them are considered among the best cheeses in the world. Some of the country's most famous cheeses are:[33][34][35]
Minas, also known as "white cheese", is a light cow's milk cheese, packaged in water.
Catupiry, a creamy, processed cheese invented inMinas Gerais that is primarily used as a topping or filling for pizzas. It is often sold in a distinctive round wooden box.
Requeijão: a mildly salty, silky-textured, spreadable cheese often eaten on bread. There are several varieties: The "Requeijão de Corte" is the oldest variety, essentially artisanal, being solid; "Requeijão Cremoso" is currently the most widespread variety, being a pasty, white dairy product, made with skimmed milk and fresh cream. It is usually sold in glass or plastic cups and spread on bread for breakfast. "Requeijão Culinário" is a more consistent variety of creamy cottage cheese, designed to withstand high temperatures.
Coalho, is a heat-resistant cheese, which means it can be cooked and grilled. It is usually eaten on beaches or at barbecues, roasted over a fire on skewers and eaten smoked over a fire.
Cachaça – adistilled spirit made fromsugarcane juice. It is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Brazil.[8] It is also informally referred to ascana,caninha andpinga.[8]
Brazil has a tradition of manufacturing jams and jellies from fresh tropical fruits, as Brazil is recognized worldwide as a country with great characteristics in food production, being one of the largest food exporters in the world. Brazilians inherited the taste and cultivation ofsugar from thePortuguese whoimmigrated to Brazil. In the kitchens of the sugar farms, the wives of thefarmers taught the subordinates how to properly mix the ingredients. This led to a growth in its commercialization in the Brazilian market, Portuguese recipes spread throughout the Brazilian colony and became part of the colonial food menu.
The Portuguese tradition of producingsweets witheggs and sugar joined the immense variety of Braziliantropical fruits, which provided an immense menu of delicacies. Brazil has a variety of candies such asbrigadeiros (chocolate fudge balls),cocada (a coconut sweet),beijinhos (coconut truffles and clove) andRomeu e Julieta (cheese with a guava jam known asgoiabada).
Cuca [pt], a board cake made with eggs, wheat flour, and butter and covered with sugar, very similar toStreuselkuchen, a traditional German cuisine cake. It is typical of thesouthern region of Brazil.
Nega maluca (chocolate cake with a chocolate cover and chocolatesprinkles)
Pão de mel (honeycake, somewhat resemblinggingerbread, usually covered with melted chocolate)
Brigadeiro (a Brazilian chocolate candy, considered the most typical dessert in the country, a type of truffle made of condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder)
Paçoca (similar to Spanishpolvorones, but made with peanuts instead of almonds and without the addition of fats)
"Açaí na tigela" (usually consists of anaçaí (Brazilian fruit) mixture with bananas and cereal or strawberries and cereal (usually granola or muslix))
Pudim de pão (literally "bread pudding", a pie made with bread "from yesterday" immersed in milk instead of flour (plus the other typical pie ingredients like eggs, sugar, etc.) with dried orange slices andclove)
Manjar branco (coconut pudding with caramel cover and dried plums)
Breakfast,[a] thecafé-da-manhã (literally, "morning coffee"): every region has its own typical breakfast. It usually consists of a light meal, not uncommonly only a fruit or slice of bread paired with a cup of coffee. Traditional items include tropical fruits, typical cakes, crackers, bread, butter,cold cuts, cheese,requeijão, honey, jam,doce de leite,coffee (usually sweetened and with milk), juice,chocolate milk, ortea.
Elevenses orbrunch,[b] thelanche-da-manhã (literally, "morning snack"): usually had between 9 and 11 am, consists of similar items as people have for breakfast.
Middaydinner orlunch,[a] thealmoço: this is usually the biggest meal and the most common times range from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Traditionally, people will go back to their houses to have lunch with their families, although nowadays that is not possible for most people, in which case it is common to have lunch in groups atrestaurants or cafeterias. Rice is a staple of the Brazilian diet, albeit it is not uncommon to eat pasta instead. It is usually eaten together with beans and accompanied by salad, protein (most commonly red meat or chicken) and a side dish, such as polenta, potatoes, corn, etc.
Tea,[b] thelanche-da-tarde orcafé-da-tarde (literally "afternoon snack" or "afternoon coffee"): it is a meal had between lunch and dinner, and basically everything people eat in the breakfast, they also eat in the afternoon snack. Nevertheless, fruits are less common.
Nightdinner orsupper,[a] thejantar: for most Brazilians,jantar is a light affair, while others dine at night. Sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta, hamburgers or hot-dogs, pizza or repeating lunchtime foods are the most common dishes.
Late supper,[b] theceia: Brazilians eat soups, salads, pasta and what would be eaten at the elevenses if theirjantar was a light one early at the evening and it is late at night or dawn. It is associated withChristmas andNew Year's Eve.
A simple and usually inexpensive option, which is also advisable forvegetarians, iscomida a quilo orcomida por quilo restaurants (literally "food by kilo value"), abuffet where food is paid for by weight. Another common style is the all-you-can-eat restaurant where customers pay aprix fixe. In both types (known collectively as "self-services"), customers usually assemble the dishes of their choice from a large buffet.
Rodízio is a common style of service, in which aprix fixe is paid, and servers circulate with food. This is common inchurrascarias, pizzerias and sushi (Japanese cuisine) restaurants, resulting in an all-you-can-eat meat barbecue and pizzas of varied flavours, usually one slice being served at a time.
The regular restaurant where there is a specific price for each meal is called "restaurante à la carte".
Although many traditional dishes are prepared with meat or fish, it is not difficult to live onvegetarian food as well, at least in the mid-sized and larger cities of Brazil. There is a rich supply of all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and on city streets one can find cheese buns (pão de queijo); in some cities even the version made ofsoy.
In the 2000s,São Paulo,Rio de Janeiro andBrasília have gained several vegetarian andvegan restaurants.[52] However outside big metropolises, vegetarianism is not very common in the country. Not every restaurant will provide vegetarian dishes and some seemingly vegetarian meals may turn out to include unwanted ingredients, for instance, usinglard for cookingbeans. Commonly "meat" is understood to mean "red meat", so some people might assume a vegetarian eats fish and chicken.Comida por quilo and all-you-can-eat restaurants prepare a wide range of fresh dishes. Diners can more easily find food in such restaurants that satisfy dietary restrictions.
^abcBreakfast, lunch and dinner are major meals, served in most restaurants and eaten daily in most households above the poverty line.
^abcBrunch, tea and late suppers are secondary meals, not consistently had in most households, with the tea time meal being the most common, while elevenses and late suppers depend on the peculiarities of one's daily routine or diet.
^Sommers, M. (2011).Moon Brazil. Moon Handbooks Series (in Italian). Avalon Travel Publishing. p. 1077.ISBN978-1-59880-891-9. RetrievedFebruary 3, 2015.
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