Regional cuisines
Pizza
Is very popular in brazil. in säo paulo, travellers will find the highest rate of pizza parlours per inhabitant in the country. the variety of flavours is extremely vast, with some restaurants offering more than 100 types of pizza. it is worth noting the difference between the european "mozzarella" and the brazilian "mussarela". they differ in flavor, appearance and origin but buffalo mozzarella "mussarela de bãºfala" is also often available. the brazilian "mussarela", which tops most pizzas, is yellow in color and has a stronger taste. in some restaurants, particularly in the south, pizza has no tomato sauce. other dishes of italian origin, such as macarrã£o macaroni, lasanha and others are also very popular.
Southern
Churrasco is brazilian barbecue, and is usually served "rodizio" or "espeto corrido" all-you-can-eat. waiters carry huge cuts of meat on steel spits from table to table, and carve off slices onto your plate use the tongs to grab the meat slice and don't touch the knife edge with your silverware to avoid dulling the edge. traditionally, you are given a small wooden block colored green on one side and red on the other. when you're ready to eat, put the green side up. when you're too stuffed to even tell the waiter you've had enough, put the red side up... rodizio places have a buffet for non-meaty items; beware that in some places, the desserts are not considered part of the main buffet and are charged as a supplement. most churrasco restaurants churrascarias also serve other types of food, so it is safe to go there with a friend that is not really fond of meat. while churrascarias are usually fairly expensive places for brazilian standards in the north, central and the countryside areas of the country they tend to be much cheaper then in the south and big cities, where they are frequented even by the less affluent.
Mineiro
Is the "miner's" cuisine of minas gerais, based on pork and beans, with some vegetables. dishes from goiã¡s are similar, but use some local ingredients such as pequi and guariroba. minas gerais cuisine if not seen as particularly tasty, has a "homely" feel that is much cherished.
Bahia
The food of Bahia, on the northeast coast has its roots across the Atlantic in East Africa and Indian cuisine. Coconut, dende palm oil, hot peppers, and seafood are the prime ingredients. Tip: hot "quente" means lots of pepper, cold "frio" means less or no pepper at all. If you dare to eat it hot you should try acarajé prawn-filled roasties and vatapá drinkable black beans soup.
Brazilian cuisine also has a lot of imports:
Arab
Middle-eastern and Arab actually Lebanese food is widely available. Most options offer high quality and a big variety. Some types of middle-eastern food, such as quibe and esfiha have been adapted and are available at snack stands and fast food joints nation-wide. You can also find shawarma kebabs stands, wich brazilians calls "churrasco grego" Greek Barbecue
Japanese
São Paulo's Japanese restaurants serve up lots of tempura, yakisoba, sushi and sashimi. The variety is good and mostly the prices are very attractive when compared to Europe, USA and Japan. Most Japanese restaurants also offer the rodizio or buffet option, with the same quality as if you ordered from the menu. Sometimes, however, it can be quite a departure from the real thing. The same can be said of Chinese food, again with some variations from the traditional. Cheese-filled spring rolls, anyone.Japanese restaurants or those that offer Japanese food are much commoner than Chinese and can be found in many Brazilian cities, especially in the state of São Paulo.
cuisine
Brazil's cuisine is as varied as its geography and culture. On the other hand, some may find it an unrefined melange, and everyday fare can be bland and monotonous. While there are some quite unique dishes of regional origin, many dishes were brought by overseas immigrants and have been adapted to local tastes through the generations. Italian and Chinese food in Brazil can often be as baffling as Amazonian fare.
Brazil's national dish is feijoada, a hearty stew made of black beans, pork ears, knuckles, chops, sausage and beef usually dried. It's served with rice, garnished with collard greens and sliced oranges. It's not served in every restaurant; the ones that serve it typically offer it on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A typical mistake made by tourists is to eat too much feijoada upon first encounter. This is a heavy dish — even Brazilians usually eat it parsimoniously.
The standard Brazilian set lunch is called prato feito, with its siblings comercial and executivo. Rice and brown beans in sauce, with a small steak. Sometimes farofa, spaghetti, vegetables and French fries will come along. Beef may be substituted for chicken, fish or others.
Excellent seafood can be found in coastal towns, especially in the Northeast.
Brazilian snacks, lanches sandwiches and salgadinhos most anything else, include a wide variety of pastries. Look for coxinha deep-fried, batter-coated chicken, empada a tiny pie, not to be confused with the empanada - empadas and empanadas are entirely different items, and pastel fried turnovers. Another common snack is a misto quente, a pressed,toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich. Pão-de-queijo, a roll made of manioc flour and cheese, is very popular, especially in Minas Gerais state - pão-de-queijo and a cup of fresh Brazilian coffee is a classic combination.