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Cuisine in Brazil

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The cooking style in Brazil varies with the region since there are so many different ethnic groups located there. There are five main regions with regard to cuisine: The north, the northeast, the central-west, the southeast, and the south. Each of these regions has their own signature dishes and methods for preparing them.

Brazil as a whole has several “staples,” the most common of which is beans. Beans are eaten daily in many different forms and colors. One of the most popular dishes in Brazil in rice and beans. Another important ingredient is coconut. Coconut is used in soups, cocktails, poultry, fish, and shellfish recipes, desserts, and sweets. Coconut milk is a liquid with a very mild, salty-sweet flavor. It is used in many sweet and savory dishes. Palm Oil is another staple item. It is a heavy, tropical oil that is extracted from the African Palm, which grows in Northern Brazil. It adds a delicious flavor to foods, as well as a bright, orange color. Dried, salted codfish is another important food item in Brazil and is used in appetizers, soups, main courses, and savory puddings. To refresh the codfish, Brazilians soak it in cold water for 3-4 hours, replacing the water every hour. Dried shrimp are also used in many different dishes and are refreshed much the same way as the dried codfish, except without the hourly water changes. Limes in Brazil are also popular. They are small, green, and very tart, just like an American lime. Rice is another key staple and is cooked in a variety of ways. Toasted Manioc Meal is another favorite. It consists of manioc flour, lightly sautéed in butter until it looks like buttered breadcrumbs. It is often eaten as a side dish to Feijoada, which is the national dish of Brazil. It is a recipe more than 300 years old, and is a combination of black beans, pork, and manioc meal. At first, it was a meal for slaves brought over from Africa. But has been adopted by many cultural regions and can be made in a variety of ways.

References
www.wikipedia.org

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