Brazilian Cuisine: Essential Dishes to Try While Traveling
Brazilian cuisine is the result of a multitude of influences and flavors bearing witness to the many migration patterns within the country. The result is dishes with African, Portuguese, Indian
Brazilian cuisine is the result of a multitude of influences and flavors bearing witness to the many migration patterns within the country. The result is dishes with African, Portuguese, Indian flavors (notably in the Brazilian Amazon), Italian and many others besides… To give you an overview of all these culinary varieties, we've listed the 8 iconic dishes you absolutely must try during a trip to Brasil.
1. Feijoada
Considered the national dish of Brasil, Feijoada consists of famous black beans (translated as feijão), carne de sol, pork (this can be ribs or pork offal) as well as rice, cabbage, cassava flour and oranges. It's something like the Brazilian cassoulet, really!
2. Bobó de Camarão
Characteristic of Afro-Brazilian heritage, Bobó de Camarão is a shrimp soup cooked in a cassava and coconut milk purée, served with rice and red beans. It's an iconic dish from northern Brasil and particularly from the Bahia region.
3. Coxinhas
Coxinhas are small croquettes whose shape resembles a teardrop or water droplet. They're made with ground chicken (or another meat) covered with a fried and breaded dough. They also include onions, parsley and sometimes tomato sauce, turmeric and cheese!
4. Tacacá
A typical dish from the Brazilian Amazon, Tacacá is a sticky soup whose recipe is passed down through generations. Prepared from a vegetable broth (onions, garlic, cilantro, chives) and tucupi (a tangy cassava broth). Dried shrimp and Pará watercress (jambu) are then infused into it and topped with chili peppers!
5. Pão de Queijo
Pão de Queijo is a cassava bread with cheese. You'll find it everywhere in Brasil and enjoy it throughout the day: from breakfast to snack time to dinner! While you'll mainly find parmesan, the traditional cheese used in this recipe is cheese from the state of Minas.
6. Acarajé
Afro-Brazilian specialty, Acarajé is a fritter made from bean paste and fried in palm oil. Most often, these fritters are filled with dried shrimp, salad and chili peppers. If you enjoy spicy snacks, you'll love trying these spiced fritters which translate from African as 'ball of fire' (àkàrà)!
7. Churrasco
This isn't really a specific dish but rather the art of cooking meat. Thus, Churrasco is meat (mainly beef, poultry, pork and sometimes lamb) cooked over embers. In other words, Churrasco is Brazilian barbecue cooking!
8. Moqueca de Camarão
If you love exotic flavors, don't miss out on Moqueca de Camarão. A popular dish in the Bahia region, it's a fish and seafood stew simmered in coconut milk, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cilantro.
Frequently asked questions
The national dish of Brasil is Feijoada, a stew made with black beans, pork and carne de sol, served with rice, cabbage, cassava flour and oranges. This iconic dish is often compared to French cassoulet.
Brazilian cuisine is highly varied by region. Among the must-tries: feijoada (national dish), coxinhas (chicken croquettes), pão de queijo (cheese bread), churrasco (Brazilian barbecue) and moqueca de camarão (seafood stew).
The Bahia region is known for its Afro-Brazilian influenced dishes: bobó de camarão (shrimp soup with coconut milk and cassava), acarajé (bean fritter fried in palm oil filled with shrimp) and moqueca de camarão.
Pão de queijo is a small Brazilian bread made with cassava flour and cheese. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it's enjoyed at any time of day. The traditional cheese used is cheese from the state of Minas, though it can also be found made with parmesan.
Brazilian cuisine can be spicy depending on the region and dish. The tacacá from the Amazon and acarajé from Bahia are notably served with chili peppers. However, many dishes like pão de queijo or churrasco are mild. The use of spices varies greatly from one region to another.
Churrasco refers to the Brazilian ember-cooking technique, the equivalent of barbecue. It can be beef, poultry, pork or lamb. It's a true institution in Brasil, often shared with family or friends during festive occasions.
