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Intro . . .
In Brazil, eating is, like so many other things, another pretext for pleasure talking. There is no such thing as brazilian haute cuisine per se, but the food tastes dammed good anywhere you go. Even more remarkable is the cultural know how about what, where, when and how to eat.
This (arte de comer) i mean, the art of eating well has nothing to do with either fussiness, a francesa, or pseudo-scientific taboos, a americana do norte. Brazilians simply understand that the body feels better when its kept hydrated with fruit and water while at the beach, or that a fattening little snack and a few sips of strong coffee or cold beer make the ride home from work infinitely more pleasant.
The food is as syncretic as the country itself. The most basic brazilian meal can include spanish and portuguese olive oil, native manioc, japanese sushi, african okra, italian pasta, german sausage, lebanese tabbouleh. Still the cuisine can be reduced to there delightful principles generosity, freshness and simplicity.
Frist, you should plan for some of the largest portions on the planet - a single main course can leave two people stuffed. its hard to go hungry here, even on the most modest budget. As for freshness, the fertile soil and luxuriant climate ensure that a stunning variety of produce is availible at all times. Many of the local fruit and vegetable names have no translation simply because they exist nowhere else.
Given the richness and variety of fresh ingredients, brazilians generally eat their food neat. They feel no need for fancy sauces or rarefied cooking processes. Meat is coated in salt and set on the grill, while veggies are steamed and served straight up. Simply add a drizzle of olives oil and a bit of salt to taste. That said, there are complex regional dishes that are well worth their careful preparation. You can be sure of one thing in brazil . . . You are going to eat very very well.
Staples and specialities . . .
Just as theres no typical brazilian face, theres no single brazilian cuisines. Foodies prefer to say its a conglomeration of regional cuisines, each itself a hybrid of ethnic cuisines adapted to local conditions. That said, here follows a description of typical brazilian meal available just about anywhere you go. Certainly, the meal will include (arroz e feijao) it means rice and beans, the principle staples of the brazilian diet.
Drinks - Nonalcoholic drinks . . . ( Juices)
Brazilian juices (sucos) are divine. Staples include known quantities such as orange, lime, papaya, banana, passion fruit (maracuja), carrot, beet, açai, acerola, pineapple, melo, watermelon, avocado and many more. Then there are the Amazonian exotics fruits that hardly exist outside Brazil. The berrylike is prized for its nutritional value and addictive taste, while guarana ( a type of berry) is loaded with caffeinelike stimulants. They defy translation, as do gravola, cupuaçu and fruta do conde.
Caldo de cana is extracted directly from lenghts of sugarcane, usually with a machine tahts a hand-cranked, multicogged affair. Agua de Coco (coconut juice) is available anywhere that its hot and where there are people. With a fewstrokes of a butchers knife, vendors open a hole large enough for a straw. It sounds touristy but its not - the juice is high in electrolytes, and brazilians value its rehydrating properties.
Juices bar are around in abundance, even in small towns, and a very good sized glass costs US$ 3 to 5. In Rio de janeiro, where juice is way of life, corner bars can offer 50 or 70 different varieties. The juices may be made from fresh fruit and vegetables or from pulp. Request them sem açucar e gelo or natural, if you dont want sugar and ice. Juices often have mineral water mixed in. but if you dont want juices with mineral water mixed, you can ask for juices mixed with orange juice in stead of water.
Drinks - Nonalcoholic drinks . . . ( Coffee )
Brazilians like their coffee as strong as devil, as hot as hell and as sweet as love. In the morning they take it with milk. For the rest of th day, its cafezinhos, it means, regular coffee served either in a drinking glass or an espresso-sized coffee cup and often presweetened.
Alcoholic drinks . . . (Beer)
Brazlians enjoy their beer served bem gelada (icy cold). In general, a cerveja refers to a 600ml bottle beer, a longneck is a 300ml bottle, and a cervejinha is a 300ml can. Antarctica, Brahma and Skol are the best natinal brands up there.
Alcoholic drinks . . . (Cachaça)
Also called ping or aguaardente, cachaça is a high proof sugarcane alcohol produced and drunk throughout the country. It can be cheaper than water (literally) or as dear as whisky, and yes price definitely signals a difference in taste and effect (and after effect ! ). Velho barreiro, Ypioca, 51, Pitu, Carangueijo and Sao francisco are some of the better labels.
The capirinha is an authentic brazilian national drink. The ingredients are simple : Cachaça with crushed lime, sugar ans ice - but the results are sublime and delicious when sipped in the cool of an evening. You can replace the cachaça with vodka (to make a capirosca) and the lime with a variety of fruit, including strawberries, kiwi, the cherrylike pitanga and the haunting limao de persia ( a light yellow lime).
Where to eat and drink . . .
Eating out in Brazil can mean fried treats at the corner lanchonete (snack bar or coffee shop or greasy spoon); a lunchtime (prato feito) (ready to eat hot meal including rice, beans, a meat dish and salad) at a bar (pub) or botequim (working mans restaurants); a gorge session at a sit down (rodizio) (all you can eat) restaurant; or a la carte dinning on white linen.
To eat quickly, cheaply and very very well, head to a por kilo restaurant, which, as the same suggests, servers food by weight, and usually costs from US$ 8 to US$ 12 per kilogram. Offerings generally include fresh veggies, rice and beans, and grilled meat and fish, plus regional specialities. Its a great option for travelers, as you dont have to decipher a menu. Try to get there early (noon for lunch or 7 pm or 8 pm for dinner) when offerings are freshest and available in abundance.
Churrascarias are generally rodizio-style and include a salad bar plus meat thats brought to your table fresh from the grill. Rodizio restaurants serving pizza and massa (pasta italiana) are also popular and cost between US$ 10 and US$ 15.
Lone travelers will be made to feel at home wherever they go. If you want to strike up a coversation, head to the closet corner bar or food stand, where bonhomie is almost certain to abound.
Quick eats . . . (sandwiches, hot dogs, and many more . . . )
In Brazil, you are never far from a lanchonete, where you can get salgadinhos (savory snaks, usually fried) - also known as tira-gosto and petisco - for around US$ 3. Try kibe, which is cracked wheat stuffed with spiced meat then deep fried - its both delectable and rib-sticking. Pasteis (dough filled with meat, cheese or seafood then deep-fried) are unbeatable when piping hot. Pao de queijo (a concoction of cheese and tapioca dough) is also deliciously ubiquitous.
For a few more dollars, you can get a sanduiche, a term that covers a multitude of hot sins from the famous X - tudo (cheeseburger with everything) to the dependable misto quente (toasted ham and cheese sandwich). Cold sandwiches, usually on crustless white bread, are called sanduiche natural.
Vegetarians and vegans . . .
Vegetarianism is very much a minority activity in Brazil. Many brazilian waiters consider sem carne (without meat) to include such vegetable groups as chicken, pork and animal fats, so be very clear when ordering in restaurants. Beware especially the typical black bean dishes, which are often flavored with meat.
Most cities offer a few all vegetarian options, but where this is neither convenient nor possible, head to a por kilo restaurant - they usually offer at least half a dozen different salad, vegetable and bean dishes.
Whining and dinning . . .
Brazilians love children, and yours will be welcome wherever you go, as long as they are reasonable behaved. Note that bratty behavior is little tolerated by brazilian parents who consider a quick swat far more constructive than mere (time out).
Familiar food is available for unadventurous palates just about anywhere you go, from burgers and pizza to grilled cheese sandwiches. Prepackaged baby food is generally available from supermarkets, though not from corner stores.
