Americas · Traditional

Brazilian cuisine

Brazilian cuisine reflects Indigenous food knowledge, Portuguese colonisation, African diaspora traditions and later migration from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cassava, rice, beans, seafood, tropical fruit, meat and regional stews change dramatically between the Amazon, north-east, central states and the south.

Explore recipes Build a Brazilian menu Wine pairings
Food history

Why Brazilian cuisine is worth exploring

Brazilian cuisine was formed through Indigenous food knowledge, Portuguese colonisation, the forced migration of Africans through slavery and later immigration from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cassava, maize and tropical produce sit beside Portuguese stews, Afro-Brazilian palm-oil dishes and regional barbecue traditions.

Why it is famous

The international reputation of Brazilian food rests partly on feijoada, churrasco, moqueca, pão de queijo, acarajé, coxinha, brigadeiro and tropical fruit desserts. Yet many of the most revealing things to cook are less famous: the soups, breads, vegetable dishes, preserves and regional meals that show how people have used local ingredients day after day.

Regional food story

Bahia is strongly associated with Afro-Brazilian cooking, dendê and coconut; Minas Gerais with cheese, pork and hearty inland food; the south with churrasco; the Amazon with river fish, cassava and Indigenous ingredients; São Paulo reflects waves of Italian, Japanese and other migration.

Cook by course

Brazilian recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Brazilian starters

Acarajé

Acarajé

Crisp black-eyed-pea fritters fried in dendê oil and filled with vatapá, prawns and salad.

Starter 45 mins
Bolinho de Bacalhau

Bolinho de Bacalhau

Crisp salt-cod and potato fritters with a fluffy, parsley-scented centre.

Starter 45 mins
Caldinho de Feijão

Caldinho de Feijão

A smooth, deeply savoury black-bean broth topped with herbs, bacon and chilli.

Starter 45 mins
Casquinha de Siri

Casquinha de Siri

Creamy seasoned crab baked in its shell beneath a golden crumb.

Starter 45 mins
Coxinha

Coxinha

Teardrop-shaped croquettes filled with shredded chicken, crumbed and fried until crisp.

Starter 45 mins
Dadinho de Tapioca

Dadinho de Tapioca

Crisp cubes of tapioca and coalho cheese served with sweet-hot sauce.

Starter 45 mins
Pão de Queijo

Pão de Queijo

Small Brazilian cheese breads with a crisp shell and stretchy, chewy centre.

Starter 45 mins
Pastel de Feira

Pastel de Feira

Thin, blistered fried pastry filled with cheese, meat or hearts of palm.

Starter 45 mins
Main courses

Brazilian main courses

Arroz de Carreteiro

Arroz de Carreteiro

Rice cooked with dried or leftover beef, onion and garlic in a robust southern one-pot dish.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Baião de Dois

Baião de Dois

Rice and beans cooked together with cheese, herbs and cured meat.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Bobó de Camarão

Bobó de Camarão

Prawns in a velvety cassava and coconut sauce scented with dendê and coriander.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Caldeirada Paraense

Caldeirada Paraense

Amazonian fish stew with tucupi-influenced acidity, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Carne de Sol com Mandioca

Carne de Sol com Mandioca

Salt-cured beef served with buttery cassava and sweet browned onions.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Churrasco de Picanha

Churrasco de Picanha

Picanha grilled over charcoal with a salted crust and juicy rosy centre.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Cuscuz Paulista

Cuscuz Paulista

A moulded São Paulo savoury couscous of cornmeal, tomato, fish, eggs and vegetables.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Escondidinho de Carne Seca

Escondidinho de Carne Seca

Creamy cassava purée baked over seasoned dried beef beneath a golden cheese top.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Feijão Tropeiro

Feijão Tropeiro

Beans tossed with cassava flour, bacon, sausage, eggs and greens.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Frango com Quiabo

Frango com Quiabo

Chicken braised with okra, garlic and herbs in a classic Minas Gerais stew.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Galinhada

Galinhada

Chicken and rice cooked together with saffron-like colour, herbs and vegetables.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Moqueca Baiana

Moqueca Baiana

Bahian fish stew with coconut milk, dendê oil, tomato, peppers and coriander.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Pato no Tucupi

Pato no Tucupi

Duck simmered in tangy tucupi broth with jambu and aromatic herbs.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Peixada Cearense

Peixada Cearense

Fish gently cooked with tomatoes, peppers, coconut milk and vegetables, served with pirão.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Pirarucu de Casaca

Pirarucu de Casaca

Layered Amazonian pirarucu with cassava, banana, vegetables and coconut milk.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Tacacá

Tacacá

Hot tucupi broth with jambu, dried prawns and tapioca gum, served in a bowl to drink.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Tutu à Mineira com Torresmo

Tutu à Mineira com Torresmo

Smooth seasoned beans thickened with cassava flour and topped with crisp pork crackling.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Vatapá

Vatapá

A thick Bahian cream of bread, coconut, peanuts, cashews, prawns and dendê.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Virado à Paulista

Virado à Paulista

A São Paulo platter of bean purée, rice, pork, sausage, egg, greens and banana.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Xinxim de Galinha

Xinxim de Galinha

Bahian chicken stew with peanuts, cashews, dried prawns, coconut and dendê.

Main 1 hr 5 mins
Barreado

Barreado

Paraná beef stew sealed in a clay pot and cooked until the meat collapses into its gravy.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Feijoada

Feijoada

Black beans slowly cooked with pork and served with rice, greens, farofa and orange.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Maniçoba

Maniçoba

A slow-cooked Amazonian stew of processed manioc leaves and pork, prepared over several days.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Rabada com Agrião

Rabada com Agrião

Slow-braised oxtail in rich gravy with peppery watercress.

Main 1 hr 50 mins
Desserts

Brazilian desserts

Beijinho de Coco

Beijinho de Coco

Small coconut-condensed-milk sweets rolled in coconut and topped with a clove.

Dessert 45 mins
Bolo de Rolo

Bolo de Rolo

Many thin layers of cake rolled with guava paste into a tight spiral.

Dessert 45 mins
Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro

Soft chocolate-condensed-milk truffles rolled in sprinkles.

Dessert 45 mins
Canjica Doce

Canjica Doce

Creamy white-corn pudding with milk, coconut, cinnamon and peanuts.

Dessert 45 mins
Cocada Branca

Cocada Branca

Chewy white coconut sweet made from fresh coconut and sugar.

Dessert 45 mins
Pudim de Leite Condensado

Pudim de Leite Condensado

Silky condensed-milk caramel custard baked gently in a ring mould.

Dessert 45 mins
Quindim

Quindim

Glossy yellow coconut custards with a dense sweet base and soft egg-rich top.

Dessert 45 mins
Romeu e Julieta

Romeu e Julieta

Guava paste paired with mild salty cheese in Brazil’s classic sweet-savoury combination.

Dessert 45 mins
Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Brazilian food

When pairing wine with Brazilian food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Barbera
Red

Barbera

Bright Italian red with red fruit, low tannin and high acidity. Excellent with tomato, pork, sausages, cheese and heart…

Grape: Barbera Region: Piedmont, Lombardy
Beaujolais / Gamay
Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland
Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux
Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo
Malbec
Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors
Pinot Noir / Burgundy
Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden
Sangiovese
Red

Sangiovese

Italy’s signature red grape style: bright acidity, red fruit and savoury tannin.

Grape: Sangiovese Region: Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria
Spätburgunder
Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz
Syrah / Shiraz
Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa
Local beers

Brazilian beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers
Skol Pilsen

Skol Pilsen

Pilsner 4.7% ABV
Ambev

One of Brazil’s biggest mainstream beers, strongly tied to beach and barbecue culture.
Brahma Chopp

Brahma Chopp

Pale lager 4.8% ABV
Ambev

A classic Brazilian lager with huge national recognition.
Antarctica Original

Antarctica Original

Lager 5% ABV
Ambev

A historic Brazilian beer often connected with botecos and casual eating.
Bohemia Pilsen

Bohemia Pilsen

Pilsner 5% ABV
Ambev

A long-established Brazilian beer brand often positioned as more premium.
Itaipava Pilsen

Itaipava Pilsen

Pilsner 4.5% ABV
Grupo Petrópolis

A widely sold Brazilian lager and major mainstream alternative to Ambev brands.
Food stories

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Plan the full table

Build a Brazilian menu

Keep cassava flour, rice, beans, coconut milk, dendê oil where appropriate, chillies and good coffee. Buy tropical fruit, herbs, seafood or meat according to the region represented. Manioc products are not interchangeable, so check whether the dish needs sour starch, sweet starch, farinha or tapioca.

Open menu builder Meal planner