1. Brigadeiro
What is it: Chocolate truffles made with condensed milk instead of cream and covered in chocolate sprinkles.
Tastes like: A Nutella ball sprinkled with chocolate.
Conclusion: You‚ve been missing out on chocolate rolled into balls for far too long.
2. P£o de Queijo
What is it: Little rolls of bread with cheese baked into it.
Tastes like: Yup, little rolls of bread with cheese baked into it.
Conclusion: You‚ll never eat regular bread again.
3. Farofa
What is it: Fried cassava flour. It can include egg, bacon, and other add-ons. It‚s usually sprinkled over rice and beans.
Tastes like: Nothing you‚ve ever tasted. Come on, it‚s fried cassava flour, but it‚s still DELICIOUS!
Conclusion: Hands down: Cassava flour is tastier than regular flour.
4. Feij£o Tropeiro
What is it: Pinto beans sauted with cassava flour, scallions, egg, and bacon.
Tastes like: Someone put eggs and bacon in your beans.
Conclusion: You should add eggs and bacon to everything.
5. A§a
What is it: A superfood berry used to make fruit bowls and smoothies. Pro tip: Blend with bananas and strawberries and top with granola and honey.
Tastes like: A granola bowl, sans yogurt, plus berry goodness.
Conclusion: Granola bowl, shh-manola bowl, NOPE.
6. Pastis
What it is: More fried goodness but this time with less dough, which you can fill with everything from cheese, to beef, to cod fish, and pretty much whatever else your stomach desires.
Tastes like: A deep-fried empanada.
Conclusion: All empanadas should be deep-fried.
7. Mousse de Maracujá
What is it: Passion fruit mousse.
Tastes like: Passion fruit pudding.
Conclusion: So where do I buy passion fruit?
8. Feijoada
What is it: A black bean stew with various types of beef and sausage.
Tastes like: A hearty black bean chili.
Conclusion: Chili, what are you doing with your life?
9. Bolinho de Chuva
What is it: Little balls of glorious fried dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
Tastes like: Cinnamon doughnut holes.
Conclusion: A little cinnamon and sugar go a looooong way.
10. Moqueca de Camar£o
What is it: A shrimp stew cooked in coconut milk and palm oil. Add veggies such as peppers and tomatoes to complete.
Tastes like: Clam chowder if it were cooked in coconut milk, minus the clams, plus the fish‚and the vegetables.
Conclusion: Clam chowder is basic, so, SO basic.
11. Beijinho de Coco
What is it: Coconut truffles.
Tastes like: A coconut explosion.
Conclusion: Coconut is sooooo underrated.
12. Vatapá
What is it: A spicy cream of fish and shrimp dish cooked in peanut sauce.
Tastes like: A thick shrimp curry, kind of.
Conclusion: Curry who?
13. Bauru
What is it: A traditional sandwich with roast beef, mozzarella cheese, tomato, and pickled cucumber served on a French roll. Pro tip: Cut out the excessive dough from inside the roll.
Tastes like: A yummy roast beef sandwich.
Conclusion: YES! You can actually make this right now.
14. Crme De Papaya
What is it: Papaya blended with vanilla ice cream. Pro tip: Top with some crme de cassis.
Tastes like: Papaya ice cream with a sweet liqueur drizzled on top.
Conclusion: You should start topping all your ice cream with a sweet liqueur.
15. Acaraj
What is it: A black-eyed pea ball fried in palm oil, usually stuffed with shrimp and vinaigrette.
Tastes like: A stuffed shrimp falafel.
Conclusion: Why do we even bother with regular falafels?
16. Misto Quente
What is it: A melted ham and cheese sandwich usually on white bread.
Tastes like: A grilled cheese with ham.
Conclusion: Step aside, regular grilled cheese.
17. Requeij£o
What is it: A ricotta-like cheese spread.
Tastes like: A thicker ricotta-like cream cheese.
Conclusion: You‚ve been settling for regular cream cheese your whole life.
18. Mandioca Frita
What is it: Fried yucca sticks.
Tastes like: Hearty French fries.
Conclusion: Fuck all basic French fries.
19. Salpic£o
What is it: A salad made of chicken, ham, raisins, carrots, apples, olives, and mayonnaise, and topped with shoestring potatoes.
Tastes like: A sweet chicken salad with shoestring potatoes.
Conclusion: Chicken salad on steroids.
20. Pav
What is it: Layers of cookies filled with chocolate or fruit, lemon, coconut, etc.
Tastes like: A chocolate or fruit-filled Neapolitan.
Conclusion: Layers make everything taste better.
21. Empad£o
What is it: A baked casserole usually made with chicken, olives, hearts of palm, corn, and other fillings. You can sub chicken for beef, shrimp, or any other type of ‚meat.‚
Tastes like: A chicken pot pie without the creaminess.
Conclusion: Yo, chicken pot pie, take notes.
22. Quindim
What is it: A baked dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and ground coconut flakes.
Tastes like: A coconut flan.
Conclusion: Coconut flan > regular flan
