I'm going to give some tips for you, if you are a foreigner and want to know some information about the big tropical country where I live in, Brazil.
First of all, I'd like to inform you that Brazil is in South America and Brazilian people speak Portuguese. Yes, it's the only latin American country where the official language is Portuguese, not Spanish.
Most of Brazilians can communicate in English or Spanish but don't expect too much. I definitely adivice you to learn a little Portuguese, like I always advice all the people to learn the language of the country they are going to visit. In my opinion, this is very important. You will feel more comfortable, safer and take more advantage of all the situations you will live abroad.
Brazilians use to be very friendly, like to welcome foreigners and help you but of course it is necessary to be careful if you are in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, like any other big city in the world, but you still need to be more careful if you are in one of these two cities, especially during the international events.
Take good care of your belongings, avoid dangerous places or lonely walks in te evening. Don't trust all the nice people you talk to. There are good people and people with bad intentions everywhere in the world. But you can forget about this fact after drinking some caipirinhas. :)
Talking about caipirinha, I'm going to give you some tips about food and drink now.
Enjoy:
1. Feijoada = a dish consisting of an assortment of sliced meats, such as tongue and sausage, and side dishes, including rice, beans, collard greens, oranges, and hot pepper sauce. It is a very strong dish because it is usually made with black beans and pork.
2. Churrasco = barbecue, which is almost comprised of large chunks of meat cooked on skewers. When in Brazil you may want to visit a churrascaria, a restaurant that has all-you-can-eat barbecued meat, sometimes served impaled on swords. Brazilians also can invite you for a churrasco at their homes or farms too. It's fun because you will certainly eat a lot of meat, drink some beer and listen to sertajeno or pagode music. It's very traditional.
3. Brazilian pizza. If you like pizza, try a Brazilian pizza too! There is a great variety of different flavors that you find only here. In Brazil you can eat pizza in rodizio-syle too, which is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Dessert pizzas are also common here. They have toppings like chocolate, brigadeiro, bananas or guava jelly with cheese.
4. Pão de queijo = Brazilian cheese bread, made with tapioca flour, milk, eggs, olive oil, and cheese. They are perfect to eat with some coffee and they can be filled with Catupiry cheese, Cheddar cheese or chocolate.
5. Salgadinhos: coxinha, kibe, bolinho de queijo, empadinhas, risoles, pastelzinho. They're delicious snacks! Some of them are fried, some are roasted.
Coxinha is one of the best snacks we have in Brazil. They are delicious balls of chicken that have been shaped into a drumstick, battered and fried. The're easy to eat on the go, they're a meal unto themselves and they're delicious! The best ones are the made with Catupiry cream cheese. This cream cheese is, in my opinion, the best too!
6. Docinhos: brigadeiro, beijinho, olho de sogra, camafeu = they are delicious candy. Brigadeiro is my favorite Brazilian candy. Like so many South American treats, these little fudge truffle balls have a story in Brazil - they were named after a famous 1940's Brigadier General named Eduardo Gomes, who apparently loved chocolate. They have a caramel and chocolate flavor that's unusual and really good!
Drink:
Some pieces of information about drink are from the source: http://www.southamerica.cl/Brazil/Drinks.htm
1. Brazilian coffee. Brazilian coffee is considered mild, sweet, medium bodied and has low acidic content. Some of the Brazilian coffee is of very high quality. Brazil’s coffee having been grown in different areas of the country and it varies in taste.
2. Cachaça =The national liquor of Brazil, it is made from distilled sugar cane. Very similar to rum, you can either purchase it aged or unaged, white or gold. Aged cachaça which is considered superior and is generally sipped on its own, can very in flavor, depending on the type of wood used for the barrels. Many different local trees are used in different regions and by different manufacturers.
3. Caipirinha = This is the most famous drink from Brazil and considered the national cocktail. Made with cachaça, sugar and lime juice, it can either be a refreshing cocktail or a strong one that might leave you regretting your purchase.
4. Cerveja = Brazilian beer is good and is served very cold. When you are served chopp (tap beer) it will be served with a lot of foam on top. It's not that the bar you're at is trying to rip you off, no, that's just how it's served in Brazil.
5. Chimarrão = The Brazilian version of yerba mate. As in Uruguay and Argentina this special tea is both symbolic and social, and is commonly share among a group of friends through a special ceremony where each person drinks from the same cup. It is considered to have many of the same health benefits as Chinese green tea and has natural caffeine in it. This drink is more common in the South of Brazil.
6. Tereré = This is a cold version of chimarrão that is enjoyed mainly in the South of Brazil. It is mixed with citrus juice and is a refreshing drink during hot weather.
7. Água de coco = coconut water. This drink is often served directly in the coconut itself. Unripe coconuts contain much more liquid than ripe coconuts, as the liquid is absorbed by the flesh of the fruit, so green coconuts are plucked of the trees and opened for a sweet and mild drink. Água de Coco can easily be found in stands on the street and you can ask to open the fruit for you to eat the coconut meat.
8. Guaraná = Is the most popular soft drink produced in Brazil with a distinct apple/berry flavour. In some places it is considered an energy drink.
Considering Brazilian fruit, I recommend you take a look at this website, which has much information, not only about Brazilian fruit but it talks about other aspects:
For further information, questions or suggestions, leave me a comment!
I hope you enjoy my blog and your trip! :)
Nelise Sasso
