Food spotlight: A taste of Brazil


 

A lot of people assume, because Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese and the national language is Portuguese, that Brazilian food is pretty much what you’d find in Portugal or even Spain.

 

This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, though cultural connections exist with the mother country, Brazil and especially its cuisine are unique and wonderful.

 

Whether you’re travelling to world-class cities like Sao Paulo or legendary Rio de Janeiro or simply driving across town to explore Brazilian fare, there’s a colourful and delicious assortment to choose from.

 

·      Churrasco: Perhaps Brazil’s most famous food export, Brazilian barbecue – or churrasco – are skewers of beef, pork, lamb, sausage and chicken cooked over a grill or roasted on charcoal embers. Mouthwateringly delicious!

·      Feijoada: This hearty stew beloved in all four corners of Brazil is brimming with black beans, pork and sausage takes 24 hours to make. It’s usually served with rice, kale, pork scratchings and orange slices.

·      Acarajé: Not advised if you’re on a diet, this street food with roots in African cooking consists of a deep-fried black-eyed pea patty stuffed with dried shrimp, prawn puree, cashews and more.

·      Quindim: For dessert, but probably still not for calorie-reduced diets, this sweet egg, sugar and coconut delicacy is baked like cupcakes and topped with custard. To die for.

·      Açaí: A recent import to North America, this superfood berry is used in Brazilian food but is known primarily as a thick energy drink, often topped with granola, and downed by Rio surfers and beachgoers in Ipanema and Copacabana. The cartons of it you may buy in the supermarket, often watered down with other conventional berries, don’t do justice to the pure, unadulterated juice of the gods.

 

What Brazilian foods have you enjoyed or want to try? Share your two cents with the Shop Talk Blog community forum!

 

Did you know: Guarana is it

 

While Brazilians love cola as much as the rest of the world, several soft drinks are made from guarana, a local fruit that has twice the concentration of caffeine found in coffee! (Source)

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