
Brazilian Cuisine
Amazon Cuisine
Amazonian cuisine is very fish-heavy and serves mainly Amazonian fish, including the largest freshwater fish; pirarucu. They are usually grilled or fried and served in tomato sauce and coconut milk. Vegetable staples are manioc and various fruits such as acerola, graviola, cinnamon apple, cupuaçu and, of course, açaí. Brazil nuts also come from the Amazon region and can be bought very cheaply and freshly at markets, for example in Belem. Juice bars are popular throughout Brazil. However, the freshest juices are available in the Amazon. Açaí is eaten in Belem as a warm soup together with shrimps. In Manaus, however, one gets the usual juice or smoothie version. It is important to order the juice always prepared with water, as otherwise it might come out as a milkshake. The indigenous peoples know even more fruits and plants that are edible. For example there is the garlic tree, whose bark smells like garlic and is just as suitable for seasoning. Palm hearts come from palm species that originally grew in the Amazon, but are now cultivated specifically for food. Palm hearts can be bought in jars or cans throughout South America, but you should eat them with care in restaurants, as the water in the jars or cans can be bad. Most food poisonings I have contracted in combination with palm hearts (3 out of 4).
Bahia
The Comida Baiana is strongly influenced by its Afro-Brazilian history. In Bahia there is no way around palm oil (dende oil), originally from Africa, as it is a traditional basic ingredient; the cuisine is therefore also known as “oil food”. Dende oil can also be bought in shops as a hair care product. Different kinds of pepper, for example the Capsicum pepper, also characterize the kitchen.
Typical dishes are Moqueca, (which often comes in a vegetarian form), Mingaus, Pamonha, Canjica, Acaça, Acarajé, Ubobó, Coconut Rice, Coconut Beans and Angu.
Baianas are women dressed in white who sell street food. They include Acarajé, Cocada and Abará. Unfortunately these are all products that are not vegan. Occasionally you can find women selling Moqueca vegetariana. This is usually vegan.
The cuisine from Bahia is popular throughout Brazil. So you don’t need to travel to the region especially for the delicious food.
The kitchen of Minas Gerais
The cuisine of Minas Gerais is known in Brazil as the best cuisine of Brazil. It is based on local products. Cheese is a tradition in Minas Gerais. But also certain ways of preparation, such as the use of coal and wood stoves and cast-iron pans are part of it and give the dishes their special taste.
One of the most famous products from Minas Gerais is Pão de Queijo, a small spherical roll made of cheese and manioc flour. Sometimes there are also vegan versions made of tofu instead of cheese. Many cakes and appetizers use corn or cassava instead of wheat, because that doesn’t grow well there.
São Paulo
São Paulo is the gourmet city of Brazil. Here Italian, Japanese, Arabic and other world cuisines meet as well as typical Brazilian cuisines from other regions. There is also an endless choice of restaurants for vegans and vegetarians, covering a wide range of tastes. You will not manage to be disappointed.
What else is there to consider in Brazil?
The basic ingredients of a menu are rice, bean stew, farinha (vegan) or farofa (not always vegan) and meat. It is no problem to get the menu without meat, but the bean stew is often prepared with meat, then it is called feijoada. If it comes without meat, it is only called feijão, but there is still the possibility that it was made with lard. Brazilian restaurants serve huge portions, but vegetarians and vegans are better off at the very popular lunch buffets anyway, which sometimes charge by the kilo, sometimes by the person. Normally, one finds there enough vegan options, no matter if it is a mixed buffet or a purely vegetarian one.
If one really does not find anything at all, in case of emergency, an açaíbar will also do it. Here, the self-service is preferable, as then one can easily compose one’s own açaí. In some smaller shops, the options of toppings for vegans are limited to banana and granola, which occasionally contains honey. There are juice bars on every corner.
Vegan dishes
- Angu (polenta-like side dish)
- Tapioca (depending on filling)
- Feijão com arroz is rice and beans without the meat, but it can still be made with lard.
- Farinha de mandioca is ground, pressed and oven-dried manioc.
- Avocado cream is a cream pureed with lime and sugar and cooled.
- Açaí na tigela is a sorbet or smoothie made from açaí that is topped with various things. Some açaí bars are self-service and have different varieties, Traditional, Banana and Zero are vegan. If not sure, ask.
- Goiabada is a jelly of guava and lots of sugar.
- Rapadura is raw sugar.
- Paçoca/Paçoquinha is a candy made from peanuts, sugar and sometimes flour.
- Pé-de-moleque can be vegan but sometimes it is also made with butter.
- Arroz de Coco
- Guisado de Feijão preto
- sopa de feijão preto
- Moqueca Vegetariana is the vegetarian version of Moqueca, which is mostly also vegan.

