Brazil is made up of a melting pot of cultures that have each brought their own cuisine. Brazilian cuisine has influences from African, European, Asian and Middle-Eastern cooking. And São Paulo, the financial hub of the country, draws people from all over Brazil creating a city where regional cooking as well as cuisines from all over the world are represented and fused together to create new dishes altogether. If you’re a little unsure of what to eat in São Paulo, here are some of the foods you need to try while you’re here.
Feijoada
This stew is Brazil’s best known dish and considered Brazil’s national dish. It is a stew made of black beans and traditionally left over parts of the pig such as ears, tails and trotters. These days, it is often made with smoked pork sausages, loin chops and belly, salted beef, bacon and ham hock. Often eaten on the weekends, it is typically served with rice, collard greens and farofa.
Where to try it:
Bolinha
Av. Cidade Jardim, 53 – Jardim Europa, São Paulo
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Pão de queijo or cheese bread in Portuguese is a small cheese roll made of cassava flour and cheese (usually minas cheese). It is one of the most famous foods to come out of Minas Gerais but has become popular all over Brazil. It is ubiquitous in Sao Paulo and often eaten for breakfast or as a snack with a cup of coffee.
Where to try it:
Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo
Rua Haddock Lobo, 1408 – Jardins, São Paulo
Brigadeiro
Brigadeiro is a traditional dessert beloved all over Brazil. It can be eaten at any occasion from children’s birthday parties to fancy weddings. It is also often made at home or found in bakeries and served as a snack. Made of condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder, it is traditionally shaped into a ball and covered with chocolate sprinkles but can also be poured into and eaten from a serving dish.
Where to try it:
Maria Brigadeiro – Shopping JK
Av. Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041 – loja 121 – Vila Olímpia, São Paulo
Churrasco
If you’ve got an appetite and you like a juicy steak, churrasco is the perfect meal for lunch or dinner. Churrasco is a Brazilian-style barbeque where a variety of meats are skewered and roasted over a wood fire or charcoal. Churrasco in Brazil is often served rodizio-style. Customers pay a set price for an all you can eat barbeque. The meat is cooked by the churrasqueiro until the outer layers of the meats form a well-crusted sear. The meat is then served table-side where waiters will continually come around with various types of meats directly on the spit and cut slices for the customer until the customer signals they are full. A typical churrasco will serve various cuts of beef, pork, chicken and lamb. It is often served alongside a salad bar buffet including rice, beans, collard greens and potatoes.
Where to try it:
Fogo de Chão Jardins
R. Augusta, 2077 – Cerqueira César, São Paulo
Mortadela Sandwich at the Municipal Market of São Paulo
São Paulo’s mortadella sandwich is a classic that has slowly become an attraction with tourists coming to Sao Paulo’s municipal market just to try it. This epic sandwich first came about in the 1930s when the market first opened and became popular as a cheap lunch for worker’s nearby but slowly has captured the hearts of paulistas everywhere. The sandwich made of “pão francês” bread, 300g of mortadella and melted cheese and makes a great place to have lunch.
Where to try it:
Bar do Mané
Rua da Cantareira, 306 Rua E Box 14 – Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo
Pastel
A piping hot, freshly made pastel de feira is irresistible. A pastel is a Brazilian snack food made of a deep fried pastry that can be stuffed with a number of fillings such as cheese, minced beef, salted cod or heart of palm.
Where to try it:
Yoka
R. dos Estudantes, 37 – Liberdade, São Paulo