If you want to explore Brazilian
cuisine, you must travel across the country as each region has its favorite
cuisine.
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil’s cuisine usually revolves around a barbecue, called churrasco
in the country. This is often beef seasoned with rock salt and cooked over an
open fire. When you travel to Brazil, consider trying the three types of ribs
found at smokehouses in Porto Alegre.
Rio Grande do Sul
If you find yourself traveling to Rio Grande do Sul, then you will want to try
the arroz de carreteiro. This favorite dish is usually made with charque, dried
beef, and rice. Then, the chef seasons it with onion, garlic, and parsley.
There is no way to rush good arroz de carreteriro as the
charque needs to soak overnight. You may want to go to Porto Alegre, Brazil,
where the arroz de carreteiro, music and dancing are superb. This is not the
cheapest city to dine in, however, so you may need to easily transfer money to Brazil before continuing your travel.
Parana
As you continue your travels through Southern Brazil, you will enter the state
of Parana, where residents have a love for barreado. An exceptional
300-year-old ritual is carried out to prepare this dish that has beef, duck,
and a special sauce. The mixture is then slow-cooked in a unique clay pot that
is sealed with flour. It is usually served with rice and plantain leaves. In
order to try barreado, head to Antonina, Brazil. When heading here, try for an
early lunch as the restaurant can get very crowded later in the day.
Santa Catarina
Once you reach Santa Catarina, you will want to eat the delicious
seafood, including scrumptious oysters. Make your way to Florianópolis and dine
at one of the restaurants located along the pier. After enjoying your meal,
stroll along the glass-covered pier. Since many Germans settled here in the
18th and 19th centuries, you may want to consider getting a piece of their
iconic apple pie.
Midwest Brazil
As you move towards the middle of Brazil, you will find more African and
European influences in the cuisine. There is also a heavy Indian influence.
Bakeries are a popular dining option in the middle of Brazil. Since this region
is near the center of the country, it is also a great place to try a variety of
fruit grown in Brazil, including jabuticaba that resembles a grape, atemoia
which has a sweet and sour natural taste, açaí which tastes great in a bowl of cereal,
and bananas.
MatoGrosso
You will feel the influence of people who have moved from Paraguay and Bolivia
or who have ancestors that did when you taste the food of this region where
chicken is a very popular dish. Frango com gabiroba is found on many dinner
tables. Similar to grilled chicken, its secret lies in the sauce made with
peri-peri and paprika. You can find it served at many different restaurants,
which are often called chicken joints.
São Paulo
Many Japanese people settled in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo,
and you can find their influences in many dishes served there. You can also
find Italian influences and African influences. If you are running short on
money and you have no one to wire more to Brazil, then heading to this region
is an excellent choice because of its vast diversity. If you want to see a
great show head to Olympia, Palace, or Tom Brasil and order the traditional
tutu a mineira, which is mashed beans served with roasted pork loin, cabbage,
and rice. You may also want to consider ordering the fried shrimp pie, which is
called acaraje.
Minas Gerais
Many family farms cover Minas Gerais. You will find several traditional
cooking methods used in this state. Many call this the food capital of Brazil,
and there are several foods that you will want to try. Their soft white cheese
called queijo Minas is often consumed as breakfast or an afternoon snack. It is
firmer in this state than in other parts of Brazil. Fried cassava flour is
usually eaten with beans and rice in this state. Most importantly, however,
Minas Gerais is where farofa de andu is served alongside almost every meal.
