The maxim that culinary tells the story of a people fits exactly in the Southeast region from Brazil. Portuguese colonizers landed in northeastern Brazil in 1500, but effective colonization only began in 1532.
It was in that year that the expeditionary Martim Afonso de Souza landed in the territory that today constitutes the state of São Paulo. Bringing some Portuguese immigrants, he founded the captaincy of São Vicente. The start of the development of the Brazilian Southeast was given.
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It is worth noting that another important part in the formation of regional cuisine was the indigenous people. Long before 1500 they already lived here and had their own traditions of hunting, preparing and preserving food.
The third essential part for the constitution of the typical Brazilian food, were the Africans brought to the country as slave labor from the second half of the fourteenth century.
The southeast region is the richest and most populous in Brazil, home to more than 80 million inhabitants, according to the demographic census carried out by the IBGE in 2010. Together, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have an area of 924,511.3 square kilometers.
The territorial area includes a long coastline, with idyllic beaches, mountains, historic cities and farms, as well as urban centers and cosmopolitan capitals. All this interferes directly in the local culture, making it understand a great diversity of flavors.
This plurality is not new. The bases of typical food have contributions from native Indians, Portuguese who colonized the region, Africans and also the thousands of immigrants from Europe, Asia and the Middle East who landed in the southeast along their history.
Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, for example, the gold cycle in Minas Gerais. The economic moment provoked intense movements in the Brazilian territory, also affecting the way people ate.
The occurrence of entries and flags is from the same period. With the long expeditions, travelers had to improvise, carrying less food and preparations. perishables, in addition to the concern with satiety, since the interior of the country was traversed on foot or on the back of horses.
In the 19th century, the coming of the Portuguese Court to Rio de Janeiro incorporated new eating habits in the population, at least in the richest part of society, but, in a way, contributing to the gastronomic configuration of the region.
Over time, naturally, society has evolved and gastronomy has modernized. Still, traditions remain rooted in the foods of the Southeast. Get to know the main culinary habits and the characteristics of the typical foods of the states that make up the region.
Undoubtedly, the main characteristic of Capixaba cuisine is the presence of fish and seafood with different textures and presentations. In addition, in each of the dishes it is possible to identify influences from Portuguese, indigenous and African cultures.
To cite an example, the best known dish is the capixaba moqueca, a delicious heritage left by the Indians and which ended up becoming a true state symbol.
Discover some of the delicacies that can be enjoyed in different regions of Espírito Santo, which, in addition to the famous beaches, has mountains and beautiful waterfalls.
In addition to the delicacies already mentioned, two dishes are responsible for conveying to residents and tourists the essence of Espírito Santo food.
Moqueca Capixaba: it is as Cacau Monjardim said: “Moqueca, only capixaba, the rest is fish”. The dish really is the flagship of Espírito Santo. It is a fish, seafood and vegetable stew, prepared in a clay pot and seasoned with annatto and coriander.
Capixaba pie: despite being a success during Holy Week, when Catholics don't eat red meat, capixaba pie is in great demand throughout the year. The stuffing takes heart of palm, cod and seafood, such as shrimp, oyster, sururu and crab.
Minas Gerais is the only state in the southeast region that has no coastline. Therefore, the main ingredients are vegetables, poultry, beef and pork, as well as milk and its derivatives.
The geographic location, closer to the interior of the country, is one of the factors that made it possible for the typical food from Minas Gerais to beyond state boundaries and become an inspiration for other locations, such as the state of Goiás and part of Bahia.
You typical dishes from Minas Gerais are a true invitation to delve into the history of the state, which was the scene of important historical moments, such as the gold cycle and the journeys of the drovers.
As it could not be otherwise, in each region of the state different dishes prevail. Despite this, some of them constitute the identity of Minas Gerais cuisine.
If so many delicacies weren't enough, Minas Gerais has two dishes that are, literally, the face of the state. If you thought of cheese bread, you nailed it! But besides him, chicken with okra does not leave the table of miners.
Cheese bread: if it has a flavor that translates the culture of the people of Minas Gerais, it is the cheese bread, even more so if it is accompanied by freshly brewed coffee. Present in virtually all cafeterias in the state, it is very common for breakfast and afternoon snacks. The baked dumpling is a mixture of manioc flour, oil, milk, eggs and, of course, a good cured cheese.
Chicken with okra: one of the characteristic foods of the state, at first it may not be so pleasant for those who do not like the texture of okra. Despite this, the mixture of these flavors constitutes a unique and essential experience for anyone visiting Minas Gerais. Country chicken, okra and seasoning are cooked in lard. Traditionally it is served with green corn angu.
If there is one place in Brazil where you can find dishes from all over the world, that place is the city of São Paulo. The capital is a major center of world cuisine, and precisely because of this, many people say that the state does not have its own cuisine.
In fact, some foods like pizza did not originate in the state. Despite this, they were adopted by the people of São Paulo and became true symbols of the city and state of São Paulo.
Furthermore, some recipes such as bauru and virado à paulista are there to contradict this theory.
Get to know some of the foods most appreciated by the people of São Paulo.
In addition to them, two dishes are very remembered when we refer to the São Paulo cuisine. Get to know the paulista-style turn and couscous style.
facing São Paulo: with origins in the colonial period, the dish was created during flags and entrances. It is a complete meal, able to provide the ideal satiety for long trips at the time, almost always made in adverse conditions. Rice, beans thickened with cassava flour, cabbage cut into strips, fried egg with soft yolk, breaded and fried banana, sausage and crispy crackling come together to form the food that is the face of paulistas.
Couscous à paulista: also originating from the journeys of the tropeiros, it is another nutritious dish that provides a complete meal. Corn flour, boiled eggs, garlic, onion, peppers, sardines, canned green corn, tomato, olive oil and olives are the main ingredients in the preparation.
As in São Paulo, it is very common to hear people saying that Rio de Janeiro doesn't have a own cuisine, that most of the dishes that represent the state were created in other places.
The typical foods of Rio were little influenced by the indigenous people. Most of the references found originate in Portugal, as is the case with the broth verde and codfish cake, two delicacies much appreciated by the residents of the state.
Furthermore, a curiosity about the typical cuisine is the tradition of “boteco food”, usually accompanied by chopp or beer. Fried dumplings and snacks are very present in the daily lives of people from Rio de Janeiro.
We list below some of the dishes that are true symbols of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Besides them, the feijoada and the traditional beach snack, the globo biscuit with mate tea are among the delicacies of Rio de Janeiro.
Carioca bean stew: despite some historical divergences, to tell the story of feijoada the most accepted is that the dish was created inside the slave quarters, with the pieces of meat discarded by the house big. To increase satiety, the tail, foot, ear, tongue were cooked along with beans. Over time, the delicacy won the table of Brazilians and the accompaniments we know today: white rice, farofa, vinaigrette, pork rinds, cabbage and sliced orange.
Globo biscuit and mate tea: the combination, which is more of a snack than a dish, is the face of Rio's beaches. It's impossible to enjoy a day at the beach without delighting in the duo. The street vendors who sell them are also a trademark of Rio de Janeiro's beaches.
