Food and drinks...

In preparing for the trip I was somewhat concerned about what types of food I would be able to enjoy. There was never a time when I went hungry, there was normally lots of food available.  Being a vegetarian eating in Brazilian restaurants can be somewhat challenging, but luckily I do incorporate seafood in my diet, as this made eating more enjoyable and easier!  Beans and rice are a staple at most meals, and the beans are fresh (not from cans) and have such a wonderful flavor.  Zucchini and pumpkin were also often seen at meals.  Brazilians use lots of pumpkin (sauteed, roasted, pureed with cheese) but not in desserts, as a vegetable with their meals.  It definitely makes me want to cook more pumpkin and beans as it was all delicious.

Read on to learn more about the food and drinks of Brazil!  The food was so good!

This might look rather mono-chromatic, but it was one of the best meals I had while in Brazil.  This is a mango shrimp (with pieces of mango), pureed pumpkin, and broccoli rice.

Rice and beans!  Then there were always so many choices at the kilo restaurants.

Kilo restaurants are very common, these are buffets with so many items (both healthy and not healthy), but you only pay for what you put on your plate.  It is a great concept, patrons are able to return and obtain more food, then one just weighs their plate again.  There was not salad as we are accoustomed to, it would be large leaves of lettuce, with just a few toppings, then oil and vinegar, which one would need to cut up with a knife and fork. 

Moqueca is another traditional Brazilian meal, more common in the northern part of the country (Bahia).  It is made with fish or shrimp, coconut milk, palm oil, onions and bell peppers.  While in Rio, we took a cooking class to learn to make moqueca, it is very easy, and delicious!  

Chef Simone supervising the group.

Adding the fish..

Here is the final product we made!  Served with rice and farofa (made from manioc flour)

The view outside the restaurant!

Now I don't think I can talk about Brazilian food without mentioning condensed milk!  Condensed milk seems to be in most sweets I encountered.  The most common was Brigadeiro, which is condensed milk and chocolate.  Another was condensed milk and coconut.  I even found a pizza that had condensed milk on it.  It became almost a joke, as I would ask Isabel what ingredients were in certain foods and her reply was frequently condensed milk.  Brazilians even put condensed milk on Acai! (Sorry no pictures of condensed milk!)

Acai is definitely a treat I could get used to in juice or frozen form (similar to sorbet!)

 It is common to put fresh fruit or granola on Acai.  

Banana is so common in Brazil, I believe I heard they have over 20 different varieties!  Bananas are in many food dishes and on the kilo buffets.  Bananas are fried, made into pies and on pizza.  The pie I had was great!  I have found a recipe since I came home and plan to make the banana pie (to see if it is as good  as the ones I had traveling!)

Banana dessert pizza!  It may not sound appealing, but it's amazing!

Dried tomatoes (a common food item) and arugula pizza!  

Isabel and I at the pizza restaurant...

Caipirinha is the Brazilian drink made most commonly with cachaca (sugar cane rum) and fruit.  In the class we also learned to make this drink, but I had enjoyed it several times already.  The drink is incredibly strong as the only ingredients are - ice, fruit (lime is the most common), and cachaca.  

Traditional caipirinha

Strawberry, passion fruit and pineapple caipirinhas!  No, I was not drinking all of them...only the passion fruit.

Just as in the states, beer is very popular.  

Beer and moqueca while watching the Brazilians win the confederate cup in Salvador.

Restaurant is on the Atlantic Ocean. 

The van is getting ready to sell beers on the beach ( I think)...this was at about 7:30 am!

Hotel reservations come with breakfast which is a big buffet of lots of fresh fruit (mangos, papaya, pineapple, watermelon and bananas were the most popular), pastries, cakes, eggs, breakfast meats, ham (I think), cheese, coffee, and fresh juices.  Being home, I do miss the mango, papaya and pineapple every morning. Some hotels have omeletes and tapioca made to order.

Tapioca!  Made with tapioca flour and then filled with cheese, coconut, butter and/or condensed milk.  I had cheese and butter.  It is rather dry tasting.

Coconut water is also very popular, and depends on the location depends on the price.  I saw them range in price from approximately  USD $.80 to $3.00.  After you drink the water you can eat the flesh!