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Traditional Brazilian Food: 12 Famous Dishes You Must Try

Traditional Brazilian
Food: 12 Famous
Dishes You Must Try
CUISINE

Traditional Brazilian food is delicious, colorful,

diverse, and exciting. Because Brazil is such a
melting pot of colors and customs, its cuisine
varies from one region to another, reflecting
the country’s diverse backgrounds and vast
territory.

razilian food has been heavily influenced by

B the Portuguese colonization of the 16th

century, by slaves brought from Africa, and
by indigenous peoples, as well as other European, South
American, and Asian countries. After slavery was
abolished, Brazil recruited Europeans and Japanese
immigrants to work in the coffee plantations – indeed
today, Brazil is home to the world’s largest community of
Japanese descendants outside of Japan, numbering
about 1.6 million people.

This influx of immigrants brought even more recipes and

culinary influences to the table of traditional dishes. From
the moment you arrive in the country, you’ll see that
Brazilian recipes are prepared with love, and meals are
more than simple meals – they’re an event. Here are 12 of
the most famous Brazilian dishes you should try on your
Brazil vacation if you get the chance.

Feijoada

1. Feijoada
The most famous of all Brazilian dishes, Feijoada is eaten
in every corner of the country. This rich, hearty stew
consists of black beans cooked with different cuts of
pork, supplemented with tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots
to round out the flavor. Traditionally, it’s made with slow-
cooked offal such as trotters and ears. Brazil’s national
dish is served with fried kale mixed with bacon bits, rice,
farofa (toasted cassava flour), and a slice of orange.

Farofa

2. Farofa
Famous for its distinctive smoky flavor, this is a
deliciously salty dish made from small pieces of bacon
fried with cassava flour. It is served with rice and beans,
which absorb the juices and add an extra texture to an
otherwise quite mushy meal. Recipes contain varying
amounts of salt, bacon, and spices and the consistency
of the farofa varies greatly. It can be eaten as a main or
as a side dish, which works particularly well at a
barbeque.

A bowl of thick yellow soup

Moqueca de Camarão

3. Moqueca de Camarão
Moqueca is a tasty slow-cooked stew typically containing
prawns or fish, coconut oil and milk with added
vegetables, tomatoes, onions, and coriander, and served
piping hot in a clay pot. There are several regional
variations of this dish. In fact, the neighboring states of
Baianos and Capixabas both claim to have invented it and
both serve mouthwatering versions.

Vatapá

4. Vatapá
A thick stew from Bahia, made from shrimp, bread,
ground peanuts, coconut milk, palm oil, and a mixture of
herbs, which is mashed into a smooth paste and
commonly eaten with rice and acarajé − a type of fritter
made from cowpeas. There are different variations of the
dish, the shrimp can be replaced with tuna, chicken, cod,
or just vegetables.

Acarajé

5. Acarajé
Acarajé is another favorite from Bahia. This crispy fritter
is made from black-eyed peas, which are mashed with
chopped onions and deep-fried. It’s popular street food.

Deep fried Pastel

6. Pastel
These pastry pockets are either curved or rectangular
and filled with stuffing that might include cheese, ground
beef, and chicken, along with more unusual fillings such
as a heart of palm and guava jam.

Empadão

7. Empadão
A flaky crust pie filled with casseroled chicken and a mix
of vegetables such as corn, hearts of palm, and peas.
Beef and shrimp are sometimes used instead of chicken.
It’s often served for family lunches and dinners at
weekends and on Brazil’s public holidays. Small versions
of the dish are typically sold at street stalls.

Bolinho de Bacalhau

8. Bolinho de Bacalhau
Bolinho de Bacalhau literally means ‘little cod ball’, and is
a traditional Portuguese recipe deeply rooted in Brazil.
These delectable fishy snacks are crispy on the outside
and soft on the inside. The pieces of salted cod are firstly
boiled before they are deep-fried. It is a very popular
appetizer and is also great as a main dish served with rice
and vegetables.

Pão de queijo

9. Pão de queijo
The Brazilian “cheese bread” originates from the Minas
Gerais, a region in the south. The light, fluffy baked
cheese rolls or buns became popular in the 1950s
although the recipe dates back centuries. Like many
other Brazilian foods, this snack originated with enslaved
Africans, who would first soak and peel the cassava root
before making the bread. The dough is made from
cassava flour and queijo Minas, a Brazilian soft cheese.
They can be eaten at any time of the day and are also
popular for breakfast, served with cheese and jam.

Picanha

10. Picanha
Barbecued meat is a Brazilian specialty. Picanha, a
triangular cut of beef that comes from the rump cap
muscle, is the most popular cut and it is seasoned with
only salt before it’s cooked to perfection. The steaks are
often bent in a horseshoe shape, skewered, and cooked
over an open fire at the country’s churrascarias
(restaurants that serve meat on huge sword-like skewers
grilled over a wood fire). The thick layer of fat is charred
and the tender, pink, smokey middle falls apart in your
mouth. Picanha is one of the highlights you’ll find at a
Brazilian barbecue.

Brigadeiro

11.Brigadeiro
Brigadeiro is Brazil’s version of the chocolate truffle. This
classic dessert is made of condensed milk, cocoa
powder, butter, and then shaped into balls and covered
in chocolate sprinkles. The traditional brigadeiro is milk
chocolate, yet there are also white chocolate versions
available, too. They are even more scrumptious when
made with a whole strawberry in the center. They are
named after the 1940s political figure Brigadier Eduardo
Gomes and have been popular since World War II.

Canjica

12. Canjica
Canjica is a sweet porridge made with white corn, cooked
with milk, coconut milk and sugar with sprinkles of
cinnamon on top. It is usually served during the annual
winter festivals in June.

Disclaimer

While Rainforest Cruises aim to provide accurate and up-to-date

information, we make no representations as to the accuracy or
completeness of any information herein or found by following any link on
this site. Rainforest Cruises cannot and will not accept responsibility for
any omissions or inaccuracies, or for any consequences arising therefrom,
including any losses, injuries, or damages resulting from the display or use
of this information.

This entry was posted June 11, 2021

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