90+ Traditional Brazilian Foods To Make Your Mouth Water

Introduction to Traditional Brazilian Food

Traditional Brazilian food is a mosaic of influences from many different cultures: Brazil's native peoples (several tribes), European (Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Polish), African, Asian (mostly Japanese), and also Middle-Eastern (Lebanese and Syrian).

It also varies from one region to another, reflecting the country's diverse backgrounds and vast territory.

Perhaps the most striking trait about Brazilian cuisine is that somehow a unified national culinary identity took shape, while distinct differences remained at the regional level, where the influence of each of the above peoples was the greatest. It's like a beautiful, colorful quilt!

Traditional Brazilian Food Articles by Denise Browning

Acai Bowl & Acai Berry (Everything You Need To Know)	Brigadeiros (Everything You Wanted to Know)

Overview of Traditional Brazilian Food 

Now, let's continue on to an overview of authentic Brazilian food or cuisine. 

First of all, let's look at typical ingredients that are heavily used on a daily basis in Brazilian cooking.

 Typical Ingredients:

• Nuts -- cashews, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and pine nuts (pinhão)
• Vegetables -- cassava, yams, corn, okra; palmito (hearts of palm)
• Fruits, mostly tropical -- cashew fruit, açai, guaraná, banana, custard apple, acerola, pitanga, coconut, guava, mango, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, coffee, pequi, and so many others
• Meats -- a large variety of seafood, poultry, pork, and beef
• Dairy -- mostly cow's milk and typical cheeses such as requeijão, coalho, Catupiry, and Minas
• Legumes -- beans (black, pinto, soybeans, garbanzo)
• Grains -- several types of rice, wheat, and cornmeal
• Grass -- sugar cane
• Others -- tapioca, palm oil (or dende)

Traditional Brazilian Food Dishes and Drinks

Second, let's take a look at typical dishes and drinks-- some quite iconic-- created from the ingredients above. This overview also has links to almost every item's RECIPE.

Traditional Brazilian Savory Foods

Name	Image	Description
Feijoada		Black bean and pork stew -- this is widely considered to be the national dish of Brazil.
Tapioca crepes		Crepes made from tapioca flour, water, and salt, with either savory or sweet fillings, inherited from Brazil's native tribes.
Beans and rice		A staple in most of the country.
Moqueca		A seafood and vegetable stew typical of Bahia State, which was greatly influenced by Africans.
Churrasco		Grilled meats-- including picanha, and others such as grilled chicken and pork ribs.
Pao de queijo		Gluten-free cheese bread rolls made from tapioca flour.
Coxinha		Deep-fried chicken fritters very popular at snack bars, parties, and as a street food.
Farofa		Seasoned manioc (cassava) flour.
Bacalhau Quatro Queijos		Baked cod in Cheese sauce.
Cuscuz		Steamed cornmeal served with a variety of toppings, either savory or sweet.
Galinhada		Saffron rice with chicken and vegetables.
Pizza		A legacy of Italian immigrants, who adapted it to their new Brazilian setting. Thin crust pizza baked in a wood-fired oven with little or no sauce, but with a wide range of toppings, either savory or sweet.
Quibe (Kibbeh)		Bulgur wheat fritters, from Arab cuisine that also can be made into a baked casserole with requeijao.
Requeijao		Brazilian cream cheese.
Pamonha (chunky tamal)		Yellow corn cake wrapped in fresh corn husks and boiled (either savory with cheese and sausage, or sweet made sweetened with sugar).
Pastel de carne		Fried empanadas filled with ground beef.
Risoles		Breaded and deep-fried empanadas filled with chicken, heart of palm, or shrimp.
Salpicão		Mayo-based chicken salad with carrots, raisins, shredded chicken and ham.
Acarajé		Black-eye pea fritter filled dried shrimp and a spicy creamy paste called vatapá.
Aipim frito		Yuca or cassava fries.
Arroz com pequi		Rice with pequi fruit.
Arroz de coco		Coconut rice.
Arroz de forno		Baked rice casserole.
Baiao de dois		Rice, bean, and cheese stew.
Banana empanada		Deep fried bananas.
Bauru		A type of ham and cheese sandwich.
Bife à Cavalo		Grilled (or sometimes deep-fried) beef steak, with fried eggs on top.
Biscoito de polvilho		Tapioca breadsticks.
Bobó de Camarão		A shrimp dish similar to a chowder, served in a puree of cassava (manioc) meal and coconut milk.
Bolinho de bacalhau		Fried breaded cod cakes.
Broa de milho		A type of Portuguese corn bread.
Cachorro quente		Brazilian hot dogs, served with many varied toppings.
Camarão no leite de coco		Shrimp in coconut sauce.
Canja de Galinha		Chicken soup with rice.
Carne de sol		Salt cured beef.
Couve a Mineira		Pan-fried collard greens.
Empadão		Large chicken pot pie.
Ensopado de Camarão		Brazilian shrimp and vegetable stew cooked in coconut milk.
Estroganofe		Chicken Stroganoff
		Beef Stroganoff
		Pork Stroganoff
Escondidinho		Chicken shepherd's pie with yuca.
Feijão tropeiro		Beans with manioc (cassava) flour.
Frango a Passarinho		Garlic and parsley chicken wings.
Fricassé de frango com batata palha		Chicken fricasee with shoestring potatoes.
Macarronada		Brazilian mac and cheese
Palmito		Hearts of palm.
Panquecas de frango		Thin flour pancakes or crepes filled with chicken, reminiscent of enchiladas.
Pato no tucupi		Duck stew in a yellow sauce made from wild manioc root (cassava).
Picadinho de carne		Brazilian beef stew.
Salada de Batata		Brazilian potato salad.
Sopa de Milho Verde		Brazilian corn chowder.
Vatapa		A creamy stew made from coconut milk, palm oil, and ground peanuts, with bread as a thickener, and shrimp or other protein source.
Vinagrete		A Brazilian mild pico de gallo.
Yakisoba, among other noodles		Infuenced by Japanese immigrants.

Traditional Brazilian Sweets

Name	Image	Description
Brigadeiro		An iconic chocolate fudge candy created in São Paulo, but beloved throughout the entire country.
Brigadeirão		A family-size brigadeiro or chocolate fudge flan.
Açai bowl  (Açai na tigela)		Açai smoothie topped with bananas and granola (although there is a savory version that is served with dried fish, shrimp, and manioc flour).
Bolo de rolo		A thin multi-layer cake roll filled with melted guava paste, or made with other flavors, such as chocolate.
Beijinho		Coconut brigadeiros.
Arroz doce		Rice pudding topped with cinnamon.
Bolinho de chuva		Deep-fried doughnut holes covered in cinnamon sugar.
Bolo de arroz		Sticky rice cake made from rice flour.
Bolo de banana		Cinnamon spiced banana cake.
Bolo de cenoura		Cake with carrots finely pureed into the batter, fluffy and topped with chocolate ganache.
Bolo de coco		Mildly-sweet fluffy coconut cake.
Bolo de fubá		Cornmeal cake.
Bolo de milho		Sweet corn cake, either fluffy or creamy.
Bolo de tapioca		No bake tapioca cake with coconut.
Canjica de milho/ Munguzá Doce		Hominy cooked in a sweet coconut sauce.
Cocada de Leite Condensado		Sweet, slightly chewy bars made with coconut flakes and condensed milk.
Creme de abacate		Eggless avocado mousse blended with sweetened condensed milk.
Creme de papaya com cassis		Papaya cream with blackcurrant liqueur.
Cuca de Maçã		Traditional coffee cake topped with applies, brought by German immigrants to Brazil
Delícia de Abacaxi		A refreshing frozen tropical pineapple trifle.
Fio de Ovos		Sweet egg threads from Portugal served as dessert, toppings for cakes, and also a side for ham and turkey.
Fruit compotes		Compotes made with bananas, guavas, limes, oranges, cashew fruit, etc.; influenced by Portuguese settlers.
Goiabada		Guava paste.
Pé-de-moleque		Peanut brittle.
Pão de mel		"Honey cake" -- Similar to a gingerbread, but these are filled with dulce de leche and covered with chocolate.
Pudim de leite		Caramel flan cooked in a ring pan.
Quindim		A bright yellow custard made from egg yolks, sugar, and coconut flakes, resembling a mini flan.
Rabanada		Deep-fried french toast covered with cinnamon and sugar.
Rapadura		Whole cane sugar or jaggery.
Mousse de maracujá		Passion fruit mousse.
Paçoca		Ground peanut candy, similar to the filling in a Reese's Peanut Butter cup.
Pamonha de forno		The sweet version is a baked sticky corn cake that emulates the traditional dish wrapped in fresh corn leaves and boiled in water.
Pão Doce com Coco		Sweet coconut rolls
Pastel de nata		Sweet custard tarts from Portuguese influence.
Pavê		Rich chocolate or fruit trifle with cookies.
Pudim de pão		Bread pudding with a flan-like consistency.
Queijadinha		Flourless coconut and cheese mini custard tarts.
Romeu e Julieta		Combination of guava paste with a mild cheese.
Sagú de Vinho		Ruby-colored dessert made with red wine and sweet tapioca pearls.
Salada de frutas		Fresh fruit cocktail salad made with tropical fruit mixed with orange and lime juice
Sorvete Nata Goiaba		Rich vanilla ice cream suffused with fragrant guava sauce
Surpresa de uva/Uvinha		Sweet/tangy candy made with grapes rolled in sweet white brigadeiro
Torta holandesa		Cookies and cream tart made with ice cream.

Traditional Brazilian Drinks

Name	Image	Description
Coffee		Made from arabica coffee beans and quite strong.  For this reason, it is mostly served in mini cups, called cafezinho.
Caipirinha		Brazil's national cocktail made from cachaça and lime, with different fruit variations.
Chimarrão or Yerba mate		Mate tea served in a calabash gourd.
Fruit juices		Made fresh from various assorted fruits.
Guaraná soft drink		Carbonated beverage made from guaraná berry.
Beer (chopp)		Served super-chilled, influenced by German immigrants.
Cana de açucar		Sugar cane juice. Very much a street drink, usually served with pastel.
Limonada suíça		Brazilian fresh limeade.

"Guaraná" by Gustavo Facci is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Moreover, take a look at these 50 EASY Brazilian recipes and these 15 QUICK Brazilian recipes. Or  see Easy and Delish's complete index of Quick and Easy Brazilian recipes.

To read more about classic Brazilian ingredients and their American subs for recipes, see here.

Regional Brazilian Cuisines

Notably, traditional Brazilian dishes and the typical ingredients that they use vary from one region to the next. In fact, sometimes they even differ between states from the same region, due to regional influences.

Regional cuisines of Brazil can be classified by geographical areas as follows:

North

Seven states -- Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins-- where the largest influence is Indigeneous. The cuisine is known for its heavy use of manioc (cassava) and its derivatives. Its use of freshwater fish (due the Amazon river) and Amazonian fruits such as açai berry also stand out.

Northeast

Nine states-- Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Piauí, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. This is the largest region, with African, Native, and Portuguese influences, although the predominance of each varies within each state.

Bahia, for example, shows more African influence than any other state. In addition, Dutch and Jewish influences shine through in the state of Pernambuco.

It’s a regional Brazilian cuisine heavy in seafood and coconut dishes, on account of its large coastline. The tropical climate also favored planting and use of cane sugar and whole cane sugar (rapadura). Plus, there are fruit compotes from the Portuguese, palm oil and black-eye peas from Africans, tapioca (manioc) flour from the Native tribes, and the Dutch Edam cheese (from which ‘queijo do reino’ is adapted), among others.

This region and the North region are also known for their gluten-free diet where vegetable roots, corn and tapioca-based dishes are common, along with rice and beans. This is in contrast to other regions that have more wheat-based dishes.

Mid-West 

Three states -- Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and the capital of Brazil, Brasilia. The influences are mainly Portuguese and Native. The most well-known dishes are rice with pequi, galinhada (chicken and rice with pequi) and pamonha goiana (yellow corn tamales filled with cheese and sausage).

Southeast

Four states -- Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais. The largest cuisine influences here are Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, and some African and Native, depending on the state.

It’s a region known for pizza with outrageous toppings, pastas with requeijao and polenta with chicken. Other foods typical from this region are feijoada and its sides, brigadeiros, sushi with tropical fruits, fried cassava, fried empanadas, kibbeh, and seafood stews like moqueca capixaba.

Southern

Three states -- Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. This region has mainly European influence (Italian, German, Spanish, and Polish). Churrasco, chimarrao, wine, pirogi, and colonial breakfasts with German pastries are some of the most popular foods there. 

Traditional Brazilian Food in Restaurants

Although you can find diverse ethnic food restaurants in most of the country, traditional Brazilian food and fusions are quite popular in Brazil. Depending on the setting, it can be ordered by:

1. por quilo (the price of a plate of food depends on its weight in kilos), a type of service which is common in commercial areas near business offices, downtown, and in malls. This usually features a buffet style set-up and there is often a wide variety of regional dishes.
2. a la carte in more refined restaurants and mall eateries.
3. rodizio style (all-you-can-eat, fixed price), seen at steakhouses, pizzerias, and sushi places. 

Brazilian Daily Meals & Staples

In general, Brazilians tend to have 5 to 6 meals a day such as:

Breakfast

Breakfast foods in Brazil vary by region. In the North, people tend to have a heavy breakfast, such as açai bowl with manioc flour, fried fish and shrimp.

In contrast, in the Northeast tapioca crepes with cheese, scrambled eggs with corn couscous, and boiled vegetable roots with melted butter are staples.

Colonial breakfasts with a wide variety of cakes and pastries are common in the South. This is especially true in Rio Grande do Sul where there is great German influence.

In the Southeast region, breakfasts tend to be lighter. This could be something like a cup of coffee, toast, and a piece of fruit. However, personal choices also apply, such as yogurt, cereal, fruit juices, eggs, and cheeses, etc.

Morning snack

 This usually consists of leftovers from breakfast or something light, like a piece of fruit.

Lunch

Certainly lunch is the heaviest meal of the day. Regional differences really stand out at lunchtime. But most of the country has rice and beans as a staple. The combo is served with an animal protein (mostly beef, chicken, or seafood) and cooked or fresh vegetables.

Those with less financial means or vegetarians replace meat with a piece of fruit, like pineapple or banana. To give more substance, some mix manioc flour or corn couscous with beans, and/or have a vegetable root (yuca or yam) as well. 

Many who work in large cities either have lunch at buffets where the food price varies by weight (por quilo), or order lunch delivery to the office, such as "Chinese" food. By the way, there has been a wave of Chinese immigration to Northeast Brazil in recent years. Quite a few of these immigrants own buffets that feature regional Brazilian cuisine.

Afternoon snack

For many, this consists of a sweet treat or savory pastries (salgados) such as coxinha and pastel.

Dinner

In contrast to lunch and breakfast, dinner is usually the lightest of the 3 main meals. Dinner often features soups, salads, grilled meat, healthy sandwiches, or leftovers from breakfast or lunch, in small amounts.

Late snack

Not very common, but some will have something light, like fruit juice or yogurt.

Conclusion

To sum up, this has been an overview of popular Brazilian food. As shown above, traditional Brazilian food is an adventure for the senses, conquering all who have tried its rich, diverse dishes. 

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