Starting from August 5, Rio de Janeiro will be the center of the world. The 2016 Olympics will gather hundreds of thousands of athletes that will compete for the title “Olympic Champion.” But Rio will offer a tons of entertainment for fans that want to watch the games live. So, whether you are in Brazil during the Olympics, or you want to visit the beautiful country some other time, here are seven dishes you absolutely must try.
Moqueca.
This is one of the basic dishes that is also one of the simplest and most delightful. Moqueca is essentially a fish stew, but the dish is much more than that.
Vegetables like peppers and tomatoes complete the dish, and depending of the restaurant or area in Brazil where you try it, the stew might be different. Some areas use fish, others use seafood, and serve it with rice and porridge. In some places, moqueca is cooked in coconut milk, giving the dish a heavier taste.
Brigadeiros.
When it comes to chocolate desserts, nothing beats the brigadeiros. It is aBrazilian Food variation of chocolate truffles. Brigadeiros are made with condensed milk, which gives them a very different taste to truffles made with cream. If you want to know what the taste is, think of a Nutella bar with chocolate sprinkles. Brigadeiros make their way to every kid’s party in Brazil.
You are guaranteed an instant sugar rush. Just don’t make a mistake of offending Brazilians by saying anything bad about their brigadeiros as they are a matter of national pride.
Pao de queijo.
One of the simplest dishes you can try in Rio during the 2016 Olympics ispao de queijo. it is sure to be available at eveyr corner. Think of it as a potato snack.
Essentially, this is a dish of cheese and bread, two of the most common ingredients rolled in a snack that will make you forget about regular bread forever. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks anytime of the day. The pao de queijo is crispy on the outside, and then soft and chewy inside and the best part is that the snack is available in a gluten-free version.
Churrasco.
If you want to experience restaurant-styledBrazilian food during the Summer Olympics, nothing beats Churrasco, a barbeque dish that is popular in Latin America as much as it is in Spain and Portugal. The term relates to beef, grilled meat and steakhouses. Churrasco is typically served in “espeto corridor” style, which means skewers and waiters slice meat directly on your plate. Ususally this is served “as much as you can eat”. Anytime your plate is empty, a skewer will slice meat onto it.
Acai.
Thanks to a marketing campaign in the '80's, acai berries became known as superfood. They have lots more antioxidants than blueberries, and many more vitamins. In Brazil, acai berries are traditionally consumed by tribes for an energy boost, and now you can enjoy it as well.
Think of it as a granola bowl without yogurt. In Brazil, acai is usually served as sorbet, with granola and slices of banana. Another option is whizzed up in juices. There is no café, bakery, or juice bar that doesn’t serve acai. The fruit is so popular, that you can even find beer and vodka made out of it.
Feijoada.
Beans play a huge role in Brazilian cuisine, and this traditional dish takes advantage of black beans to the fullest. The taste is like a black bean chili, and the ingredients aside from black beans include beef, pork meat and pork sausages. You can find cuts of pork like trotters, and ears in the mix as well but don’t let the disgusting appearance scare you. The taste is delicious.
You can only find it in restaurants, as the cooking process takes up to 24 hours with the beans soaking in the stew.
Bauru.
During the Olympics, one can safely say you won’t have much time for restaurants, as the schedule is packed. So, what you need is some delicious meal on the go, and that is bauru. The dish is actually a sandwich filled with tomato, cucumber, mozzarella cheese and roast beef - all of that rolled in a French roll.
