Brazil is a land that is rich in culture, natural resources, and diversity. Brazilian people love their food, and their food and cuisines are also loved by people worldwide. Brazilian food and cuisines are healthy, well-seasoned, and very rich in taste.
Eating food made from Brazilian recipes is an absolute pleasure. Brazilian cuisine and foods are diverse, exciting, colorful, and vibrant. The food in Brazil varies greatly from region to region. The people, traditions, customs, and food in the different regions of Brazil are very different. But they are all are fascinating in themselves.
Traditional Food & Recipes From Brazil
Brazilian food traditions have gone through many phases. They have been transformed from time to time. The Portuguese had a great impact on brazil’s culture and its traditions. Brazilian recipes have also been influenced by European, African, South American, and Asian countries. Before Europeans arrived in Brazil, the Tupi, the Guarani, and other Indian ethnic groups were settled.
These tribes cultivated manioc (potato-like crop) and learned to make dishes like tapioca and farofa. Manioc crop was used as food in a variety of ways. Like today, manioc flour is widely used as a flour substitute in many Brazilian recipes, especially in Bahia. It is used to make pastries like bread, cookies, and biscuits, etc.
In the middle of the 16th century, the Portuguese sailors discovered that they could use salted cod as food for long sea voyages. This was when the area known as Brazil was discovered and colonized, and now it is the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world.
In the north-east of Brazil, Bahia, a province that is still renowned for its cuisine, was inhabited by the Portuguese settlers and African slaves. They brought a range of changes to Brazil concerning its food and culture. It includes the Portuguese salted cod, onions, & garlic and the love of baking and desserts, especially egg custards.
The African slave brought foods like dende (palm oil), coconut, plantains, and okra. Feijoada (the national dish of Brazil) was created by African slaves using dried beans, kale, and cassava, along with what was considered the offcuts of pork and air-dried beef.
Later on, the Southern part of Brazil was settled with a coffee plantation, which attracted European and Arab immigrants having cheese making and preserving meat skills.
The Brazilian recipe of barbecue churrasco originated in the south of Brazil – with the gauchos or cowboys, who prized a cut of meat from the top of the beef rump known as picanha. Savory snacks with strong black coffee or the caipirinha cocktails (Brazil’s national drink) are also loved in Brazil.
At the end of their meal, Brazilians love to eat tropical fruits and sweets. Sweets are sometimes flavored with coconut and pineapple-like quindim (a custard made using coconut).
Today, Brazilian recipes are also taking place. Brazil has made plenty of ethnic restaurants, which have introduced dishes like sushi to the locals. Gradually these dishes and ingredients have reached the locals’ homes, which will further add a modern touch to their traditional dishes.
