Explore Brazilian regional cuisines: An expanded traveler’s field guide to the country’s five food regions — what to order, how it tastes, and why it matters. (Brazilian Culture for North Americans)

Five regions. One enormous country. A completely different way to taste Brazil. Explore Brazilian Regional Cuisines is a practical cultural and culinary guide for North American travelers who want to discover Brazil beyond churrascarias and caipirinhas. Brazil is not one cuisine. It is many. From the rivers and forests of the Amazon to the Afro-Brazilian kitchens of Bahia, the cattle country of the Center-West, the cheese and pork traditions of Minas Gerais, the seafood of Espírito Santo, the cosmopolitan table of São Paulo, and the fire-and-mate culture of the South, every region tells a different story through food. Inside, travelers will discover what to order, how dishes taste, how to pronounce their names, and what makes each regional tradition unique. The book explores iconic foods such as tacacá, pato no tucupi, acarajé, moqueca baiana, carne de sol, pão de queijo, feijoada, moqueca capixaba, churrasco, chimarrão, and dozens more. More than a food guide, this is a field companion for understanding Brazil through its markets, street stalls, restaurants, ingredients, festivals, drinks, table customs, and everyday meals. You will also find practical guidance on regional specialties, pronunciation, restaurant language, ingredients, street food, sweets, beverages, food customs, culinary itineraries, and dishes from across Brazil’s twenty-six states and Federal District. Whether you are planning your first trip to Brazil or returning to explore it more deeply, this book will help you order with confidence, recognize what is on the plate, and understand why it matters. Come to Brazil hungry. Leave knowing the country better.