Here are the 9 best things to eat and drink in Brazil for a taste of the tropics

01.01.2025 - 15:13 / lonelyplanet.com

Dec 31, 2024 • 8 min read

The roots of Brazil’s diverse cuisine stretch across three continents. Indigenous South American fruits and spices, African flavors, and European recipes have all contributed to the nation’s complex food heritage.

While it has a few national dishes like moqueca and feijoada, Brazil has a startling variety of regional specialties, from the magnificent river fish in Amazonia to the West African-influenced coconut milk dishes of the northeast. Describing the best traditional Brazilian food depends largely on where you happen to be standing in the country.

Given Brazil’s enormous coastline, seafood plays a pivotal role. The country’s tropical location is also important to its cuisine, with a dizzying variety of unique fruits often incorporated into restaurant menus.

Food-focused travel in Brazil is an endlessly rewarding experience. Here's what to eat and drink on your trip.

The northeastern region of Bahia has a deep connection to Africa, which you can both hear (in the rhythm-centric drum corps in the streets of Salvador) and taste, thanks to the liberal use of coconut milk in fish stews, spicy malagueta peppers and dendê (palm oil).

One of Brazil's must-try traditional dishes comes from Bahia. Moqueca is a delicious seafood stew made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers and the signature coconut milk, which is then served over white rice.

Bobó de camarão is a slight variation of moqueca that features manioc (cassava) along with coconut milk and shrimp. It is not unlike the West African dish ipetê. Bahia has plenty of great street food as well, including the classic acarajé, a fritter made of mashed black-eyed beans topped with a spicy paste made of crushed cashews, palm oil and dried shrimp. You can find it on the streets of Salvador as well as in many markets, including the Hippie Fair in Rio de Janeiro.

Where to try it: At many Brazilian restaurants, dishes are meant to be shared, which means you won't be able to try many different recipes. Salvador’s Restaurante do SENAC (part of an acclaimed culinary school) spreads an outstanding buffet with all of the great Bahian dishes on hand.

Wherever you roam on Brazil’s 7242km (4500-mile) coastline, you’re probably not far from liquid refreshment. When the temperature soars, head to a beach kiosk or a mobile vendor and order an água de coco (coconut water). The handy attendant will whip out a machete, crack an opening in the top of the coconut, and plunge in a straw. The refreshing drink is loaded with electrolytes, helping you to stay amply hydrated. Be sure to order it bem gelado (well chilled).

Where to try it: Stroll the sands or get active on a run or bike ride along the seaside promenade of Rio's Copacabana Beach. Along the way,