Brazilian culinary is a mix of European, Indian and African ingredients. Many of the cooking techniques used nowadays were created by the Indians and adapted by the slaves and the Portuguese.
The typical daily diet in Brazil is composed of three meals: Brazilian usually have coffee, milk, bread, fruits and cakes for their light breakfast; rice and beans at lunch, the main meal of the day; and something not too heavy for dinner.
Typical food:
Churrasco (barbecue): Brazilian’s barbecue is very tasty and includes all types of meat, as well as potato salad, bread, seasoned flour and pineapple with cinnamon as side dishes. The all-you-can-eat steak houses are famous in the country: a “must try” for the foreigners.
Barreado: It’s a typical dish from southern region of Brazil, especially from Paraná. The traditional barreado contains meat (without fat), pepper, bay leaf, and other spices. The spices are left aside at the moment of serving the meat, and it is served with farofa and rice or bananas. The main characteristic of this dish is that it is cooked in a clay pot for around 14 to 20 hours. This way, the meat cooked for so long with the spices creates a thick tasty broth.
Pão de Queijo (cheese bread): If you have never heard about Brazilian cheese bread before, it is a kind of chewy popover, similar to French gougére, that happens to be gluten free (since it is made with yucca/tapioca flour). It comes from the state of Minas Gerais, located in southeast of Brazil and known for its dairy products and country kitchen style food.
Feijoada: It’s the national dish of Brazil and the most popular food of the country. This is the most traditional Brazilian dish you can try and a must for every tourist who visits the country.
Bolos: Bolos are among the most popular desserts in Brazil. Bolos are similar to cakes and can be found in a wide variety of flavors and with many different fillings. Some of the most popular ones are: Bolo Prestígio (made with chocolate, milk cream, and coconut), Bolo de Maracujá (made with passion fruit), Bolo de Laranja (made with orange), Bolo de Banana (made with banana), and Bolo de Cenoura (made with carrots, chocolate, and butter).
Quindim: This dessert is usually made with coconut, sugar, egg yolks, and sometimes butter as well.
Pé de moleque: A candy made with molasses and peanuts, is another common Brazilian dessert.
Pamonha: A delicacy made of corn that is common in all the Brazilian territory, especially in São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Northeast. The grazed corn, milk, salt or sugar result in a firm but soft dough.
Canjica: also very popular, it is made of tapioca, sugar, and coconut milk.
Brigadeiro: The most popular Brazilian dessert is brigadeiro, a sort of chocolate ball (somehow similar to some chocolate truffles) made with chocolate, butter and condensed milk. Doesn’t it look delicious?
To make brigadeiros you need:
– 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Form into small balls (tip: grease your hands with butter before making the small balls). Put the chocolate sprinkles in a bowl and roll the small balls in the chocolate sprinkles.