Pastels are the ultimate in Brazilian street food, and Brazilians serve them anywhere – on the beach, at markets or at house parties. Similar to an empanada, but deep-fried and with a flakier pastry. You can stuff a pastel with just about anything but the prawn ones are the best.
Two words: Cheese. Balls. These are a favourite from the state of Minas Gerais. Eat them for breakfast or with a big pint of frosty beer.
Snacking on bolinho de bacalhau is considered a national pastime in Brazil. The salty cod make these deep-fried delights the perfect bar snack.
Cassava is a root vegetable, similar to a sweet potato, native to South America. Forget French fries, Brazilian fries is where it’s at.
Colourful and packed with flavour, this traditional dish is the perfect way to showcase local seafood. And Brazilians love their seafood.
You can never go wrong with fried chicken, but the Brazilian version is particularly tasty. Flavoured with tangy lemon juice and fragrant oregano, this chicken is dangerously moreish.
This is one of the most popular salads in Brazil. It’s crunchy and smoky, with a hint of sweetness from the peas and corn, it’s not hard to see why this is a classic.
Bolo de rolo, aside from having the greatest name of any dessert ever, features deliciously gooey guava paste oozing between three layers of cake wrapped around each other.
No Brazilian anything would be complete without a caipirinha. The classic cachaça and lime cocktail is so delicious it was made the official Brazilian drink by presidential decree in 2003. Now that is the kind of official drink we can get get behind!
For more brilliant Brazilian recipes, check out This is Brazil by Shelley Hepworth and Fernanda de Paula.