Famous even abroad, our feijoada deserves the title of national dish. It is said that the delicacy was born from the creativity of the slaves who, in the midst of the extremely precarious situation in who lived, used the remains of ingredients rejected by their masters and thus invented the feijoada.
Originating in Rio de Janeiro, the classic recipe uses black beans, dried meat, sausage, paio, loin, ribs, ears, feet and pork tail.
Before going into the pan, the meat must be desalted at least one day before cooking. Then just throw everything in the pan, season and let the magic happen.
When served, the dish is accompanied by rice, orange, farofa, crackling and cabbage.
Typically from Bahia, acarajé is already a postcard for tourists who want to know more about Bahia and its capital, Salvador.
Its recipe is a legacy of the first Africans who arrived in Brazilian territory. It's basically a black-eyed bean dumpling, fried in palm oil and stuffed with dried shrimp, vatapá, vinaigrette and pepper (to the customer's taste, since the dish is famous for being very spicy).
One of the tastiest foods from Pará that has news. Its origin evokes customs of indigenous people who used tucupi to prepare meat from wild animals from hunting.
The recipe as we know it today consists of roasted duck meat, soaked in a tucupi-based sauce, which by the way can be poisonous if not boiled slowly for hours on end.
Going from the north to the south of the country, we find the barreado as one of the best known representatives of the state of Paraná. Its origin is ancient and goes back to an Azorean ritual of more than 300 years performed by Portuguese recent arrivals in what is now the Southern Region.
The ingredients that make the dish the success it is are: a mixture of beef such as duckling, breast or shoulder, and seasoned with onion, pork bacon, garlic, black pepper, bay leaf.
The dish's secret comes now: traditionally, everything is cooked in a heavy clay pot and heated to a high temperature. For the hungry ones, here's a tip: the preparation can take about 20 hours.
For those who still don't know pequi, it is a typical fruit of the Brazilian cerrado and widely consumed in Goiás.
Quite aromatic, sweet and (caloric), this Midwest culinary gem is the star of the dish that bears its name. After being previously cooked, add the rice, seasoning to taste and parsley or chives to give the final touch.
But be careful: inside the pequi there are small red thorns that, if in contact with the mucous membrane of the mouth or throat, can cause discomfort or more serious problems.
It was not for nothing that I said at the beginning of the post that typical foods in Brazil are different in flavors and textures depending on the region.
Piranha broth, a hit in Mato Grosso do Sul, is one of the most exotic dishes on our list. Little consumed in other regions, piranha meat is prepared in the form of a delicious broth, well seasoned and made with tomato, garlic, parsley, onion, coriander, etc.
The idea for the preparation came from the abundance of fish in the region, in addition to the delicacy having aphrodisiac properties.
If you visit Rio Grande do Sul, you cannot miss this delight. Made with mullet, a kind of fish found in some regions of Brazil, the dish consists of meat roasted over wood and seasoned with olive oil, garlic, lots of butter, lemon and red pepper girl.
What makes this recipe so typical of the southern region is the way in which the fish is roasted, trapped between bamboo bamboo. It is served with white rice and dry white wine.
Another dish with indigenous heritage. Widely consumed in the North of the country, the well-known tucupi and tapioca gum extracted from cassava are used in its preparation as the base of the broth.
Dried shrimp and jambu leaves are added to the recipe, known to generate tingling and numbness in the lips and mouth.
The granulated cassava starch when heated forms a consistent and crunchy mass, the famous tapioca. With indigenous origin, the ingredient is one of the most versatile and consumed today.
It can be stuffed with savory foods, such as shredded chicken and dried meat, cheese, turkey breast, as well as sweet fillings, such as hazelnut cream and dulce de leche.
It is a great choice for those who are lactose intolerant and can be a substitute for bread, as it does not contain gluten.
Prepared in traditional clay pots, the dish is an extension of the coastal culture of the State of Espírito Santo. In it, pieces of fish fillet are cooked in a consistent sauce based on onions, chives, coriander, olive oil and annatto. In some places, it is possible to find shrimp and other seafood during preparation.
Serving it as soon as cooking is finished, it can be accompanied by pirão, rice and banana moqueca.
One of the greatest symbols of Minas Gerais cuisine, cheese bread has already conquered the hearts of practically all (or not) Brazilians. It is consumed at any time of the day, whether for breakfast, afternoon coffee or evening snack.
Despite receiving the status of “bread”, the recipe does not add wheat flour, but manioc starch.
That's where the origin of its creation came from. Many years ago, when access to flour by people who lived on farms was scarce, manioc flour ended up becoming the basis of the recipe.
A reason to gather family and friends over the weekend, barbecue is a typically southern culinary tradition that has reached every corner of Brazil.
It is believed to have emerged in the mid-17th century, when there were many heads of cattle in the regions where Rio Grande do Sul is today. At the time, as important as the meat, the animal's leather also generated income.
Representative of the tropeira and sertaneja gaúcha cuisine, it is made in a simple way: the meat seasoned with coarse salt and roasted in suspended wood.
Pintado is one of the tastiest fish species known. The species is abundant and very common in the Pantanal and Midwest regions.
The composition of the dish is due to a fillet of Pinta previously fried and soaked in annatto sauce, a fruit that has a reddish hue. It is served with rice and pirão.
Although traditionally more consumed in the North Region, açaí has already taken over the entire national territory. It's easy to walk around and find stores and açaí stalls, whether on beaches or urban spaces.
Originally, the fruit was consumed by northerners with meals, with fried fish, shrimp and mixed with cassava flour. However, this practice was not embraced by other regions, which eat açaí as dessert, mixed with guarana powder, strawberry, banana, and with granola, condensed milk, chopped fruits, among others, such as roof.
Rich in nutrients such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins, it has become a beneficial food for health.
If feijoada is the “salty” dish that represents Brazil to the world, the brigadeiro plays the role of the best-known dessert both inside and outside the country.
It is consumed daily and has become a tradition in children's birthday celebrations (or not). It can be said that it is a de facto national recipe and that it has not suffered any external interference.
Its recipe is basic and simple: condensed milk, powdered chocolate, butter in a pan and that's it. Sprinkles to cover and ready.
The candy received this name in reference to the highest patent of the Air Force, specifically the candidate for the presidency of Brazil Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes. In an attempt to raise funds for his campaign in the presidential race, he asked that a cheap and quick-to-prepare dessert be created to be served during the events of the then candidate.
After the success it had, the delight fell once and for all in the taste of Brazilians.
Undoubtedly pudding could not be left out of our list of typical Brazilian foods. Beloved by Brazilians, the recipe is a mixture of condensed milk, milk and eggs beaten in a blender and baked in the oven in a water bath. On top, a syrup based on melted caramelized sugar.
It was inspired by Portuguese recipes, such as quindim.
This coconut delight was created from the creativity of African slaves here in Brazil. As they are in direct contact with sugarcane, only natural coconut pieces and water were added.
There you have it, one of the tastiest and most identifiable recipes in Brazil.
