by Natalia Essigmann
Disclaimer: Food descriptions are based on my own experiences in São Paulo, Brazil and Massachusetts, United States!
Whenever I get to see half of my blood there, I prepare myself to taste different foods...
I could smell and nearly taste the garlic and onions used...
As someone who knows Brazil rather well, I’ve always said that Brazilian foods are better than those of the United States with the exception of tomatoes and cucumbers. I’m not exactly sure why these two specific harvests of the land are better in Brazil; there’s just something about them that’s more satisfying to the taste buds. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Although I’d love to continue with the comparisons (one in which I apparently found necessary to include here), today I’ll be talking about my top three favorite Brazilian foods and why you should try them!
Pizza 4 Queijos
Based on my own experiences, this kind of pizza is mainly found in São Paulo, Brazil, where my own family is from. Because of this, it is rare to be able to find this kind of pizza outside of São Paulo. Although I dream about it every day, I personally have not been able to eat it since the last time I visited, which was too long ago.
Now let’s describe this magnificent food.
When I say that this is the most beautiful creation on earth, I mean it. The name of this pizza translates to “4-cheese pizza,” which is very accurate; the only ingredient (other than those that make up the dough and crust, and of course the oregano as a topping) is cheese. There isn’t even tomato sauce! Actually, there’s a bit of a divide in my family when it comes to this. My dad, who’s American, always complains about the lack of tomato sauce in Brazilian pizza, while my mom, who’s Brazilian, sometimes complains about the opposite in terms of American pizza. As for myself, I’ve always liked both American and Brazilian pizzas, but never once have I ever liked the former over the latter!
The pizza has four different types of cheeses that can vary depending on the place you buy it from. However, there will always be cheeses with different textures present. One cheese is creamy with a mayonnaise-like texture but a bit thicker, one is stringy, one is the texture of parmesan, and the last’s texture is all three combined if that’s even possible.
Oh but it is. It definitely is.
I think I made my case here.
2. Pastel (Plural: Pasteis)
Pasteis are fried pastries made of a specially-prepared thin dough with, most commonly, a mozzarella or ground meat filling, or both. Unlike the pizza I mentioned earlier, pasteis are found everywhere in Brazil and also several places in the United States; every Brazilian knows this food well.
The dough is light, airy, crunchy, and filled with bubbles. When eaten fresh from the oil, which is the best way to go, it is common to first rip off a little piece of one of the corners to let the steam flow out a bit. Of course, you haven’t gotten the full pastel experience unless you’ve burned your mouth at least once! Although they smell of fried pastries, there’s just something about the scent of pasteis that makes it unique. Anyone who is used to eating them knows this well.
3. Pão de Queijo (Plural: Pães de Queijo)
A lot of you might know what this food is; from my experiences, it definitely seems to be the most popular Brazilian food among Americans (along with Guaraná: a very popular soda). I’ve even seen box mixes available at mainstream supermarkets here in Massachusetts.
Although they are relatively easy to make and contain simple ingredients, pães de queijo are well-loved in Brazil; they are practically a staple food in Brazilian breakfasts. They can be found in bakeries that are present on every Brazilian street, and are usually sold in brown paper bags (with some oil stains, of course!)
The main ingredients of pães de queijo are tapioca and parmesan. Like the pasteis, it’s more enjoyable to eat them right out of the oven. Similarly to pasteis, a pão de queijo, when fresh out of the oven, is split in the middle so that it cools down a bit faster. Its texture is stringy but not exactly like cheese; it doesn’t stretch as much. If you haven’t tried this food yet, do it! It’s extremely easy to find and represents a major part of Brazilian cuisine.
As you can see, I’m a lover of cheese and fried foods. Although these are my top three favorite Brazilian foods, this list does not do justice to all the tastes that Brazil has to offer! I just might need to make another list...
Comments