If you ever find yourself in the beautiful country of Brazil, here is a helpful guide of some MUST try foods!  Brazilians know how to eat and they eat A LOT! However, it is ok because most of their food is healthier and  more natural. Plus their lifestyle is way more active. Every time I am in Brazil I don’t even have a chance to get hungry. Once one large meal is finished and you sit down to talk, you hear the stove start up again for a snack or a plate of chocotone is being passed around.

There are açaí stands on every corner and even carts at the beach. Fresh coconuts are sliced in front of you to drink the water then you hand it back to them so they can cut it open for you to eat the coconut meat. It’s honestly a dream for my taste buds!

Following is a list of some of my favorites from this amazing place! You should definitely add Brazil to your bucket list if you have not already.

1. Açaí – this is by far the thing I look forward to the most when traveling to Brazil! Acai is a South American palm tree that produces small edible blackish-purple berries. They blend them up into a frozen treat that is served all around Brazil. This amazing fruit is loaded with antioxidants and is in a lot of cancer curing research… so eat away!  America has yogurt shops and Brazil has açaí shops where you go in and pick out your toppings as well. Something that I have never seen with açaí here (which does not taste nearly as good as in Brazil) is Brazilians typically dress their bowls in bananas, strawberries, granola and the best part I don’t see here is condensed milk. Oh my goodness it is so yummy!!! I know it adds some calories but it is totally worth it. Plus you walk so much in Brazil and that helps with the extra calories you have taken in. Also, if you are driving in Brazil the roads are so bad and bumpy in the city it has to shake off the calories, right? Lol
2. Heart of Palm –  If you like a little tangy then this is for you! It’s so fresh and the perfect addition to eat with a salad or by itself. Like açaí you can find heart of palm in KY but it tastes NOTHING like it does from Brazil. I will not eat Heart of Palm from home but eat it by the jar when I am in Brazil!
3. Chocotone – malls, bakeries, stores, pretty much everywhere you go in Brazil sells Chocotone and it is absolutely delicious!! Chocotone is an Italian cake/bread that has a wonderful light texture and is just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth! It is huge to give as a gift during the holidays and a perfect dessert with an espresso after a meal. I eat way too much of this while visiting! FYI…..during the holiday season you can find them in the United States at places like Tj Maxx and they do taste the same. If you find one I highly suggest you grab it to try!
4. Strawberries & Cream –  My mother in law always has this on hand for me when we are there because I eat it for breakfast almost every day. You cut up fresh strawberries, pour milk cream on top and sprinkle with a little sugar. It’s so creamy, fresh and lightly sweetened. It reminds me of the strawberry creme savers I used to love as a kid but fresh!
5. Cheese and Jam –  Yep, that is right! Brazilians eat cheese (normally queso blanco or fresco style) with jam on top of it. They call it Romeo and Juliet because it’s sweet and salty together. They also will sometimes add doce de leite to the cheese which is very good as well. This is also another food that is on the breakfast table at my mother in laws every morning!
6. Lychee – this is actually a fruit from Asia but Brazil being so tropical they always have fresh ones at the street markets. This little fruit is a lot of work to eat with how small they are because you have to peel the skin off then peel the fruit off of the large seed inside. Even though the amount of fruit you get in each one is small it is so worth it! It’s a delicious fruit I have never found in KY or anywhere in the US.
7. Sushi – As you know sushi is something that we totally have in America but in Brazil, unlike in Kentucky (or anywhere around my town) they have ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI! Yes, you heard me right. You pay one fee per person and they bring you out as much as you want. It’s soooo yummy and a great way to try some new types of sushi!
8. A dish you find a lot in Brazil is chicken Stroganoff.  This is one of my favorite meals there and something we recreate in the states from my mother in laws recipe.  Its a creamy, flavorful chicken with a sauce on a bed of rice topped with potato sticks, nothing but pure yumminess!
9. Rice and beans is a staple of Brazil and something we eat at least a few times a week at home now.  I have fallen in love with black beans and jasmine rice.  We fix our with a salad and sometimes a protein for a perfectly complete meal!
10. Pastels are a fried flaky bread that can be filled with many kinds of things.  My favorite is just a cheese pastel. You can buy these at markets, malls, and even at stands right on the beaches!
11. Cheese Bread.  Yes its as amazing as it sounds.  It is a little ball of dough filled with cheese inside.  They are so yummy and even better if you add a little Nutella on top! These are another item you don’t have to look too far for them as they are also sold all around in places such as malls, markets and bakeries around town.
12. Brazilian pizza – Last up on my list is Brazillian pizza!! It is by far the best pizza I have eaten in my life. They have some very unusual toppings that you don’t see here such as peas, eggs and heart of palm along with many other toppings. (I know that sounds gross but it’s actually soooo amazing) My favorite go to pizza no matter where I am though is a margarita pizza and oh my goodness they do not disappoint in Brazil!

Now that you are probably hungry like me from reading this, if you ever find yourself in the amazing country of Brazil I highly recommend checking out some of these yummy foods! Your taste buds will thank you!

XOXO,