Brazilian food and food culture is unlike anything else in the world. Local cuisine is an incredible mix of everything from exotic fruits and vegetables from the Amazon forests, seafood dishes influenced by the Mediterranean, indigenous foods and traditional recipes, and both Portuguese and African-influenced foodstuffs. This truly global fusion presents a mouth-watering culinary experience unique to the region, and even unique to just Brazil.
So, whether you’re planning to visit Brazil or just want to experience some of their dishes a lot closer to home, here are some of the absolute must-try foods. There’s something for everyone, as long as you aren’t shy about hearty meals and a unique, enjoyable experience.
Once you’ve read through it, let us know what you’re hoping to try next!
Table of Contents
#10: Pao de Queijo
Pao de queijo is the Brazilian spin on a recipe classic found just about everywhere in the world in some form or another: cheese rolls! They’re quite similar to a lot of cheese-infused bread rolls and biscuits, but there’s one major difference that sets them apart from other forms of cheesy bread: rather than a base of the usual wheat or all-purpose flour, they’re made with tapioca flour. This flour is a sweeter and starchier kind of flour that makes for a sweeter and less savory base.
You can also find pao de queijo made with a fermented sour tapioca flour that absorbs more liquid and brings a slightly different flavor to the snack.
The cheese used in traditional pao de queijo is called queijo de Minas, and it’s a white cheese similar to something like mozzarella or even a Monterey jack. Some Americanized versions call for Parmesan cheese instead; the point is, it’s a relatively mild, usually nutty white cheese, and the end result is an incredible sweet.
That’s right; it’s a sweet. These snack foods are found in frozen aisles or made fresh and are often served with a side of hot cocoa. What’s not to love?
#9: Feijoada
Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish, and it’s a common meal centerpiece eaten all around the year and all across the country. It’s rich, it’s savory, it’s hearty, and it’s packed with protein. What is it? Brazilian black bean stew!
Feijoada comes in many forms and has many recipes. After all, it’s a stew; every household has its own variation to suit the tastes of the family it feeds, and that’s what makes it truly special. It’s a distillation of both familial culture and national identity.
The original feijoada likely came from as far back as ancient Rome, with a pork and bean-based stew that gave rise to many regional dishes with the same basic origin. Brazil’s version came originally from Portugal, which is where it picked up the name; feijao is simply the word for “bean” in Portuguese.
We’d recommend that you give it a try, but if you’re in Brazil or a place that serves Brazilian cuisine like Texas de Brazil, you won’t be able to avoid it.
#8: Farofa
Farofa is a very interesting dish made of chunks of bacon fried with cassava flour, and served over a mixture of rice and beans that absorb the juices and add texture to the meal. It’s salty, it’s smokey, it’s savory, and it’s often spiced to the tastes of the people making it.
You’ll often find Farofa as a side dish at a barbecue, but it’s occasionally found as a main dish as well. With plenty of protein and flavor, it works pretty much however you would like to enjoy it!
If you’ve never has cassava before, it’s worth a try. Also known as yuca, cassava is a root native to South America and is cultivated as a starchy tuber sort of similar to a potato. It’s a widespread and dependable source of carbs for millions of people.
#7: Moqueca
Another common sort of stew you’ll find all over Brazil is some form of moqueca, like moqueca de peixe or moqueca de camarao. They’re all variations of essentially the same thing: a seafood stew using fish and prawns or shrimp. The stew base is a coconut oil and milk broth with plenty of vegetables and spices like coriander, onions, and more.
One of the coolest things about a good moqueca is that it varies pretty much everywhere you go. No two examples of the dish are alike, so it’s full of variety and indulgence. It’s so varied, in fact, that two different versions of it have at least been claimed as the original by different Brazilian states, and they’re both equally delicious.
Whatever variation you try, as long as you enjoy seafood, you’re sure to have a good time.
#6: Pastel de Nata
Another dish of Portuguese origin, pastel de nata is the first dessert on our list. Brazilians love a good sweet treat as much as the rest of us, so it should come as no surprise that these egg tarts are a delectable merger of flaky puff pastry, egg custard with lemon, and a topping of cinnamon sugar.
Finding a good pastel de nata is easy. Finding a great pastel de nata is a little harder, but the competition for it is fierce. Bakeries all across Brazil compete to produce the most popular and delicious version of the custard tart, and some even keep their recipes secret – and keep their lines out the door with how great they are.
Plus, pastel de nata is usually a small, bite-sized kind of tart, so you can grab two or three to go and enjoy a tasty treat whenever you’re heading somewhere. It’s an iconic dish for Brazil, and it truly does represent one of the joys of Brazilian cuisine and its fusion of ingredients and ethos from around the world.
#5: Vatapa
If seafood is your thing, but you find Moqueca to be surprisingly pedestrian, maybe vatapa is for you. It’s also a stew, and it also includes seafood, but it’s the details that make it really stand out.
First of all, vatapa is a much thicker kind of stew, often so thick it’s almost more of a paste. Instead of spooned up, it’s usually eaten with rice or a kind of cowpea fritter called an acaraje.
What makes the stew so thick? The ingredients! It’s often made with additions, including bread and ground peanuts, alongside coconut milk, herbs, and more. You might be forgiven for thinking it was a form of hearty peanut butter at first glance!
Finally, the stew is topped off with a main ingredient, often shrimp, but can also have tuna, cod, chicken, or even just vegetables as the stars of the show. Overall, it’s a thick and filling meal, especially with rice, and it’s a must-try dish you won’t find anywhere else.
#4: Brigadeiros
Another dessert, brigadeiros, is a national treat found pretty much everywhere in Brazil, and they’re commonly brought out for holidays and celebrations, as well as just being treats when you’re seeking something to sate a sweet tooth.
What are brigadeiros? They share a sort of form factor and heritage with the oh-so-common chocolate truffle. They’re balls of rich chocolate, often rolled in something like coconut, chopped pistachio, or another chopped nut like almonds.
The biggest difference between these and a standard chocolate truffle is the texture. Brigadeiros are made using condensed milk, so they’re smoother, softer, and chewier than most chocolate treats. Some people absolutely love them. Others find them almost cloyingly sweet. A lot depends on what the topping is and how well it balances out the chocolate itself. Either way, they’re a perfect capstone to a larger meal or a snack to grab and go.
#3: Canjica
Canjica is a bit of an unusual dish for many Americans, but plenty of people who give it a try soon decide it’s one of their favorite new dietary experiences. Canjica is simply a porridge made primarily from white corn. The corn is cooked in a mixture of milk, coconut milk, and sugar to make a sweet stew-like concoction. It’s usually then topped with cinnamon and served hot.
Canjica isn’t usually an every-day dish. It’s most commonly encountered during the festivals in midwinter – which is June in Brazil – as a way to fortify and satisfy during the cultural experience. While most of Brazil doesn’t exactly get cold, it can be cooler in the winter, and some of the southerly reaches can get cold enough that a nice hot sticks-to-your-ribs porridge goes a long way towards making a festival a lot more enjoyable.
#2: Acai
You’ve probably heard of acai before. acai is one of the most famous of the Amazon fruits to hit the global stage and has rapidly become one of the most enduring, delicious, and healthy treats to come from the country. It’s widely regarded as a superfood, a healthy and antioxidant-packed fruit that can serve a huge array of purposes.
Acai can be found in many different forms. A common health food is an acai bowl, a fruit bowl packed with all sorts of healthy seeds, granola, fruits, and more. It’s also frequently blended and mixed with other fruits and goes very well with superstars like blueberries and pomegranates. Moreover, it pairs well with other flavors found in Brazil, like bananas, coconut, and passionfruit.
Acai is also commonly an ingredient – or a superstar – in sorbets and other frozen treats, as well as a wide range of juices. You can even find acai-flavored vodkas and beers if those are to your tastes!
#1: Churrasco
No list of Brazilian cuisine would be complete without a mention of churrasco. Churrasco is simply a Brazilian form of barbecue, but in reality, it’s so much more than that. Churrasco is the centerpiece of a culinary experience you can only have at a churrascaria. At Texas de Brazil, we’ve brought that churrascaria experience outside the borders of Brazil and to cities all across America.
Churrasco starts with delectable cuts of meat, ranging from the American favorite filet mignon to the rich and flavorful flank steaks and sirloins, to chicken, pork, and even lamb. One of the stars of the show, though, has to be the Brazilian favorite, picanha. Picanha is an interesting cut of meat with a very lean center and a fatty cap around the outside, which provides contrasting textures and rich flavors to enjoy.
With the meats chosen, a good churrascaria cooks them the gaucho way, over an open flame and natural wood charcoal, for a deep and satisfying smokey flavor in every piece. Everything, from ribs to bacon-wrapped chicken to the picanha cuts we love, is cooked to perfection.
Beyond the cooking method, a churrascaria is all about the experience. Our gauchos aren’t just cooking the meat; they’re bringing it right to you on skewers, cut after cut until you’re satisfied. In between, you can visit our salad area and try other favorites, from charcuterie to olives and mozzarella balls to a host of salad ingredients.
When you’re just about satisfied, there’s also the desserts. Whether you want to try a crème brulee, check out a passion fruit mousse, give a Brazilian cheesecake a try, or sample a Brazilian papaya cream, it’s all there for you. There are also more international classics like key lime pie, carrot cake, and flan as well.
So, if you aren’t quite up for a trip all the way to Brazil, why not try your closest Texas de Brazil? Our churrascaria experience is unlike anything else in the country, whether you want to swing in for dinner, book a special event, or set up catering through our online portal. You can also get takeout, whether it’s a single meal or a range of cuts of delicious meat from our butcher shop. It’s all available at your fingertips!
Once you’re hooked, we encourage you to sign up for our club as well for special deals, discounts, and exclusive promotions you can’t get anywhere else. It’s quick and easy! Enjoy what Brazil has to offer from our authentic churrascaria experience.
