10 Brazilian Food Dishes You Need To Try ASAP
Brazilian food is diverse in its flavors and the same food can be different based on which state of Brazil you are in. Try out these ten Brazilian foods and explore the different varieties of food that Brazil has to offer!
1. Feijoada
This Brazilian food is a stew which is made in many different countries apart from Brazil. It differs from country to country, but Brazil typically opts for black beans instead of regular beans.
This stew is cooked with pork or beef. You can add more types of meat, or less depending on your own preference. As with all stews, you can keep adding ingredients, like onions or garlic, or you can keep it simple with just beans, meat, and sauce.
It is considered to be more of a slow-cooked meal since it is highly recommended to cook it in a thick clay pot on low heat for many hours.
2. Bolinho de Bacalhau
This Brazilian food is a seafood twist on what is normally considered a cupcake. There’s no icing and instead of just being a tiny cake, it has a filling that is very savory and will fill up your stomach and your soul.
It is made with fish (Codfish), potatoes, onions, eggs, and flour. There are many recipes for this food online and they all have their own spin on what makes a really good Bolinho de Bacalhau. If you want you can add a side to this tasty snack or you can just eat them as they are.
No matter how you choose to make them, you simply have to try them out.
3. Empadão
This Brazilian food is a pie that can be made in many different ways depending on what you want in it. Some recipes are specifically for chicken, or frango in Portuguese, and other variations.
In some ways, it can mimic the appearance of a Shephard’s Pie if you make it with beef.
4. Brigadeiro
Some must-try foods aren’t for the main meal, but as a dessert instead. This Brazilian food is one of those. It’s very simple to make and only has three ingredients with one garnish.
It’s made with sweetened condensed milk, unsalted butter, and unsweetened cocoa powder with chocolate sprinkles for garnish.
One of the best parts about this Brazilian food is that it’s vegetarian because of the type of milk and butter that you use in the process. You don’t need to go to Brazil either to enjoy these delicacies since the ingredients are sold at many grocery stores near the baking aisle.
5. Empada
Similar to the empadão, the empada can come in a variety of flavors depending on the filling you put into it. Unlike the empadão, you don’t want to add too much on the inside of this food since you wouldn’t want to risk breaking the seams before you get a chance to enjoy it.
What’s even better is that the empada is just like a mini pie. So if you want the savory taste of a regular pie but need to eat on the go or aren’t that hungry, you can grab an empada and still enjoy the great taste.
6. Coxinhas
You might take a look at the ingredients of this Brazilian food and question how it is different from the one above. One of the main differences is the amounts of filling and types of sauce you put in.
The filling to the coxinha has chicken (or any meat of your choosing, but many recipes call for chicken), a little tomato sauce, and cream cheese. You can add additional ingredients like garlic, paprika, and onions to spice up the flavor if the main three aren’t doing enough for you.
No matter how you choose to flavor your coxinha, it is a tasty snack no matter where in Brazil, or the world, you happen to eat them in.
7. Moqueca de Camarão
Most of the dishes on this list have meat as their main ingredient or are desserts. However Brazil has a long coast where fishing is very popular, so it’s no surprise to find a dish with fish as the main ingredient.
The main parts of this food are fish, tomatoes, and onions. Some recipes call for the tomatoes and onions to be cubed, but that is based on how much you onions and tomatoes. As well as how clearly you want them to be represented in the presentation of this dish.
Lemon juice, salt, and pepper can be added to taste to this food to give just a little more flavor if there isn’t enough already for you.
8. Pão de quejio
One of the key ingredients in making this Brazilian food is tapioca starch, not flour. Starch is in flour, not they are not the same. You also need eggs, milk, and grated cheese.
This cheese bread is different from your typical cheese bread in that the cheese is on the inside of the bread and it melts into gooey perfection.
You can pair this bread with a sauce to make it even better.
9. Açaí
This Brazilian food is a sorbet that can be eaten just as is or you can add some fruits in to give it a little more flavor. You can also eat it as a smoothie. It can be made into almost any kind of dessert if you like the flavor that this provides.
10. Feijão Tropeiro
This final Brazilian food is a mix of a few different things. Mostly eggs, beans, and meat. One recipe online suggests pepperoni and bacon but you can choose whatever meat combinations you would like.
This dish also has cabbage sauce and a few different seasonings on it including salt and pepper to taste. You can always combine the barbequed meats that are well known in Brazil with this dish to give it an extra tang and smokey flavor.
