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Feijoada

Rio de Janeiro Gastronomy Rio Gateway About Rio Rio's Hotels Must Do's Gastronomy Around & About Some Don'ts Shopping   Cultural stuff

RIO'S GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS:

Feijoada has become the national dish for Brasil. It is typical fare for Saturday lunch, both at home and at the better restaurants. This specialty consists of black beans simmered with a variety of dried, salted and smoked meats, often including the tail, ears, feet, etc, of the pig), served with white rice, finely shredded kale, farofa (manioc root meal toasted with butter) and sliced oranges. It is a time consuming, heavy lunch that usually renders you full and sleepy.

Seafood (shrimp and lobster in particular) is excellent in Rio but expensive; fish is inexpensive.

Breakfast at hotels is usually buffet style and referred to as "Brazilian breakfast" - lots of sandwich meats, cheeses, breads, yogurt and fruit, lots of fruit of all kinds. Often cereals are also included. Eggs are not generally a part of the breakfast and if you want them, you'll be ordering a la carte, and paying accordingly.

Sidewalk cafes can have surprisingly good food.   Snacks and light fare is normally served at the tables outside; complete meals served inside. Pizza generally does not have a tomato sauce base but rather an oil base, with thin crusts. Many varieties are available. Frango Pasarinho is a wonderful garlicky dish of deep fried bits of chicken - the garlic is also deep fried.

The "churrascaria" is an experience in itself, especially "rodeizio" style.  Tables are set with a variety of side dishes down the middle - potatoes, farofa, vegetables, etc - and a never ending parade of waiters bring long skewers directly to you, carving right on to your plate. Every imaginable cut of meat, poultry and even sometimes fish, is available. Some of the newer churrascarias have a salad and vegetable bar instead of side dishes on the table.  Rodeizio style affords you a non-stop feast at one set price.  Check to see what libations are included, if any. Often pitchers of house wine or beer are included.

Don't miss sampling the typical refreshingly-dangerous "caipirinha", made from the Brazilian cachaca liquor and lots of sugar and lemon juice. There's also the "batida" combining cachaca with fruit juices, all tropically exoctic.  Brazil also has excellent beer - order "chop" for small size draft beer - and surprisingly, excellent wines as well. With all thse good libations around, you won't need to worry about drinking water!  But if you do do the water, ALWAYS drink bottled water.