Editing Brazilian cuisine (section)

==Cuisine by Brazilian region==
===Regional cuisines===
[[File:Pastel.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pastel (Brazilian food)|Pastel]]]]
[[File:Pao de queijo com cafe.jpg|thumb|[[Pão de queijo]], [[coffee]] and a small bottle of [[cachaça]]]]
[[File:Moqueca.jpg|thumb|[[Moqueca]] from [[Bahia]] State]]
There is not an exact single "national Brazilian cuisine", but there is an assortment of various regional traditions and typical dishes. This diversity is linked to the origins of the people inhabiting each area.

For instance, the cuisine of [[Bahia]] is heavily influenced by a mix of African, Indigenous, and Portuguese cuisines. [[Chili pepper|Chili]] (including [[chili sauce]]s) and palm oil are very common. In the northern states, however, due to the abundance of forest and freshwater rivers, fish, fruits and cassava (including flours made of cassava) are staple foods. In the deep south, as in [[Rio Grande do Sul]], the influence shifts more towards ''gaúcho'' traditions shared with its neighbors Argentina and Uruguay, with many meat-based products, due to this region's livestock-based economy; the [[churrasco]], a kind of barbecue, is a local tradition.

===Center-West Brazil's cuisine===
In [[Goiás]] State, the [[Caryocar brasiliense|pequi]] is used in many typical foods, especially the "arroz com pequi" (rice cooked with pequi), and in snacks, mostly as a filling for [[pastel (Brazilian food)|pastel]], in this state is very common the presence of chestnuts, and palm trees. Also, a mixture of chicken and rice known as [[galinhada]] is very popular. The states of [[Mato Grosso]] and [[Mato Grosso do Sul]] received influence from neighboring countries in their cuisine, as well as the [[Pantanal]] area and its various rivers and extensive wetlands that cross these two states with a high abundance of fish.

===Southeast Brazil's cuisine===
In [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]], [[Espírito Santo]], and [[Minas Gerais]], [[feijoada]] is popular, especially as a Wednesday or Saturday lunch. Also consumed frequently is ''picadinho'' (literally, diced meat) and [[rice and beans]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://super.abril.com.br/comportamento/a-feijoada-nao-e-invencao-brasileira/|title=A feijoada não é invenção brasileira|language=pt|publisher=Superinteressante|access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://basilio.fundaj.gov.br/pesquisaescolar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=546:o-carapuceiro-jornal&catid=38:letra-c|title=O Carapuceiro (jornal)|language=pt|publisher=Fundaj|access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> In Rio de Janeiro, besides the ''feijoada'', a popular plate is any variation of grilled beef fillet, rice and beans, [[farofa]], fried garlic and fried potatoes (''batatas portuguesas''), commonly called ''filé à [[Osvaldo Aranha]]''. Seafood is very popular in coastal areas, as is roasted chicken (''galeto''). The strong Portuguese heritage also endowed the city with a taste for [[bolinhos de bacalhau]] (fried cod fritters), one of the most common street foods there.

In São Paulo, a typical dish is ''[[virado|virado à paulista]]'', made with rice, ''virado de feijão'' (similar to a ''tutu''), sauteed [[kale]], fried plantains or bananas and pork chops. São Paulo is also the home of [[pastel (Brazilian food)|pastel]], a food consisting of thin [[pastry]] envelopes wrapped around assorted fillings, then deep-fried in vegetable oil. It is a common belief that they originated when [[Chinese people|Chinese]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] immigrants adapted the recipe of fried spring rolls to sell as snacks at weekly street markets. São Paulo is also known for ''parmegianna''.

In Minas Gerais, the regional dishes include corn, pork, beans, chicken (including the very typical dish ''frango com quiabo'', or chicken with [[okra]]), ''tutu de feijão'' (puréed beans mixed with cassava flour), and local soft-ripened [[Minas cheese|traditional cheeses]].

In [[Espírito Santo]], there is significant Italian and German influence in local dishes, both savory and sweet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governo ES - Culinária Capixaba |url=https://www.es.gov.br/cultura/culinaria-capixaba |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=www.es.gov.br}}</ref> The state dish, though, is of [[Amerindian]] origin,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foodandroad |date=2021-06-24 |title=How To Make Moqueca Capixaba - Brazilian Fish Stew Recipe |url=https://foodandroad.com/brazilian-fish-moqueca-capixaba/ |access-date=2022-05-06 |language=en-US}}</ref> called ''[[moqueca capixaba]]'', which is a tomato and fish stew traditionally prepared in a ''panela de Goiabeiras'' (pot made of clay from Goiabeiras district in [[Vitória, Espírito Santo|Vitória]]). Amerindian and Italian cuisine are the two main pillars of Capixaba cuisine. Seafood dishes, in general, are very popular in Espírito Santo, but unlike other Amerindian dishes, the use of olive oil is almost mandatory. [[Bobó de camarão]], torta capixaba, and [[polenta]] are also very popular.

===Southern Brazil's cuisine===
[[File:Cuca de banana.jpg|thumb|Cuca]]
[[File:Churrasco carioca.jpg|thumb|Typical Brazilian [[churrasco]], with cuts of meat such as [[picanha]] and [[Top sirloin|alcatra]], [[chicken]] [[heart]]s, [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] [[sausage]], [[garlic bread]] and [[Drumstick (poultry)|drumstick]]]]

In Southern Brazil, due to the long tradition in [[livestock]] production and the heavy German immigration, red meat is the basis of the local cuisine.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Somwaru|first1= A.|first2=C. |last2=Valdes|year= 2004|title= Brazil's Beef Production and Its Efficiency : A Comparative Study of Scale Economies – 1–19}}</ref>

Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental Europe, ''churrasco'' is the term for a barbecue (similar to the Argentine or Uruguayan [[asado]]) which originated in southern Brazil. It contains a variety of meats which may be cooked on a purpose-built ''churrasqueira'', a barbecue grill, often with supports for spits or skewers. Portable ''churrasqueiras'' are similar to those used to prepare the Argentine and Uruguayan asado, with a grill support, but many Brazilian ''churrasqueiras'' do not have grills, only the skewers above the embers. The meat may alternatively be cooked on large metal or wood skewers resting on a support or stuck into the ground and roasted with the embers of charcoal (wood may also be used, especially in the State of Rio Grande do Sul).

Since gaúchos were nomadic and lived off the land, they had no way of preserving food; the gauchos would gather together after butchering a cow, and skewer and cook the large portions of meat immediately over a wood-burning fire (not exactly as gauchos also produced [[Jerky#Ch'arki|charque]]). The slow-cooked meat basted in its own juices and resulted in tender, flavorful steaks.<ref>[http://cantinhodochurrasco.ca/history/ Churrasco]</ref> This style has inspired many contemporary [[churrascaria]] which emulates the cooking style where waiters bring large cuts of roasted meat to diners' tables and carve portions to order.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sumayao|first=Marco|title=What Is a Churrascaria?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-churrascaria.htm|publisher=WiseGeek|access-date=2014-02-27}}</ref>

The ''[[mate (beverage)|chimarrão]]'' is the regional beverage, often associated with the [[gaúcho]] image.

The most typical dishes of [[Rio Grande do Sul]] cuisine are [[churrasco]], [[Mate (drink)|chimarrão]], [[arroz carreteiro]], fried [[polenta]], galeto, [[Streuselkuchen|cuca]], and [[sagu (dessert)|sagu]], among others.<ref>[https://revistasaboresdosul.com.br/top-list-a-tradicional-culinaria-gaucha/ 10 pratos típicos da culinária gaúcha]</ref><ref>[https://casalabordo.com.br/noite-gaucha-comidas-tipicas/ Noite Gaúcha: Comidas típicas do Rio Grande do Sul]</ref> In the region there is a large consumption of [[Brazilian wine|wine]], [[grape juice]] and white grape juice due to the south being the largest grape producer in the country, and artisanal cheeses and [[salami]]s.<ref>[https://forbes.com.br/forbesagro/2022/09/como-a-agricultura-familiar-gaucha-esta-segurando-uma-geracao-no-campo/ Como a agricultura familiar gaúcha está segurando uma geração no campo]</ref><ref>[https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/vinicolas-do-rs-celebram-crescimento-nas-exportacoes-de-vinhos-e-espumantes.ghtml Vinícolas do RS celebram crescimento nas exportações de vinhos e espumantes]</ref> In the region, [[fig]], [[grape]] and [[peach]] jellies and jams are also very common. One of the most famous is chimia. The consumption of vegetables [[Food preservation|preserved in water, vinegar, sugar, salt and spices]], such as [[beets]] and [[cucumbers]], is also typical of the Southern Region.<ref>[https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/campo-e-lavoura/noticia/2017/02/veja-o-passo-passo-e-aprenda-fazer-chimia-de-figo.html Veja o passo a passo e aprenda a fazer chimia de figo]</ref>

===Northeast Brazil's cuisine===
[[File:Bobo a Dish from Brazil.JPG|thumb|''[[Bobó de camarão]]'']]

The Northeastern Brazilian cuisine is heavily influenced by African cuisine from the coastal areas of [[Pernambuco]] to [[Bahia]], as well as the eating habits of indigenous populations that lived in the region.

The ''[[vatapá]]'' is a Brazilian dish made from [[bread]], [[Shrimp and prawn as food|shrimp]], [[coconut milk]], finely ground [[peanut]]s and [[palm oil]] mashed into a creamy paste.

The [[bobó de camarão]] is a dish made with cassava and shrimp (camarão).

The [[acarajé]] is a dish made from peeled [[black-eyed pea]]s formed into a ball and then deep-fried in ''dendê'' (palm oil). Often sold as street food, it is served split in half and then stuffed with ''[[vatapá]]'' and [[caruru (food)|''caruru'']].<ref>{{cite web|last=Blazes|first=Marian|title=Brazilian Black-Eyed Pea and Shrimp Fritters – Acarajé|url=http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/r/acaraje.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=17 May 2012|archive-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429195915/http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/r/acaraje.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Acarajé is typically available outside of the state of Bahia as well.

In other areas, more to the west or away from the coast, the plates are most reminiscent of the indigenous cuisine, with many vegetables being cultivated in the area since before the arrival of the Portuguese. Examples include ''baião de dois'', made with rice and beans, dried meat, butter, ''[[queijo coalho]]'' and other ingredients. Jaggery is also heavily identified with the Northeast, as it is ''[[carne-de-sol]]'', ''[[paçoca|paçoca de pilão]]'', and ''[[bolo de rolo]]''.

[[Tapioca]] flatbreads or pancakes are also commonly served for breakfast in some states, with a filling of either coconut, cheese or condensed milk, butter, and certain meats. They can also be filled with dessert toppings as well.

===North Brazil's cuisine===
The cuisine of this region, which includes the states of [[Acre (state)|Acre]], [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]], [[Amapá]], [[Pará]], [[Rondônia]], [[Roraima]], and [[Tocantins (state)|Tocantins]], is heavily influenced by indigenous cuisine. In the state of Pará, there are several typical dishes, including:

''[[Pato no tucupi]]'' (duck in tucupi) – one of the most famous dishes from Pará. It is associated with the ''Círio de Nazaré'', a local [[Roman Catholicism in Brazil|Roman Catholic]] celebration. The dish is made with ''[[tucupi]]'' (yellow broth extracted from cassava, after the fermentation process of the broth remained after the starch had been taken off, from the raw ground manioc root, pressed by a cloth, with some water; if added maniva, the manioc ground up external part, that is poisonous because of the [[cyanic acid]], and so must be cooked for several days). After cooking, the duck is cut into pieces and boiled in ''tucupi'' sauce for some time. The ''jambu'' is boiled in water with salt, drained, and put on the duck. It is served with white rice and manioc flour and corn tortillas.