The Foods You Must Try While Traveling in Brazil

As an Argentine, I love going to Brazil's sunny and warm beaches for summer vacations. With my husband and preschool-aged daughter, our latest trip was to Maceió, a city in Brazil's northeast. Of course I tried every new food I came across, and everything was so fresh and delicious. If you are planning a getaway to Brazil, you must try some of these foods!

Tropical Fruits

I was really excited about the fruit in Brazil. Not only is the country's fruit known for its delicious variety and freshness, but it also plays a central role in the daily diets of Brazilians. Fruit is served at breakfast, eaten as a snack and is a common dessert after lunch and dinner. Besides the better known papaya, passion fruit, açai and pineapple, some of the best new ones I tried included:

• Acerola (Barbados Cherry)
  Similar to a pomegranate, but the size of a cherry, acerola has a yellowish, sweet and sour pulp. It is used mainly for jams, juices, fruit salads and some savory dishes. Eating just one acerola berry can fulfill the daily value of vitamin C. Acerola also is rich in polyphenolic compounds.
• Cajú (Cashew Apple)
  This is the fleshy part of the cashew fruit that is attached to the cashew nut (pictured above). It tastes refreshing and very juicy, although it can be bit acidic and astringent in your mouth.
• Goiaba (Guava)
  With its flowery and slightly sweet smell, this fruit has a pink or yellow flesh with edible seeds. Guava is high in vitamins A and C. It can be eaten raw with a spoon, in fruit salads and juiced. It's also used to make a jam called guava paste.
• Carambola (Starfruit)
  Originally from Asia and the South Pacific, its production has expanded to Brazil too. Carambola is sweet and very refreshing — and it has that distinctive star shape! It's high in vitamin C and other antioxidants. 

Tapioca

This is a very common delicacy in the northern parts of Brazil. Of indigenous origin, tapioca is made of cassava flour (a starchy flour made from yucca or manioc root) which, when spread on a hot frying pan, gels and becomes similar to a pancake or tortilla. It has almost no flavor, is mostly carbohydrate, is gluten-free and is low in protein and sodium. After it's cooked, tapioca pancakes are filled with a variety of sweet or savory ingredients. The most traditional tapioca fillings include coconut and guava paste or cohalo cheese. Cohalo is a firm but very lightweight cheese produced in Northeastern Brazil; it has an almost "squeaky" texture when bitten into. 

Água de Côco, Guaraná and Caipirinha

One day at the beach in Maceió, I said it: "I must have água de côco — coconut water sipped straight from the coconut!" Refreshingly cold and prepared right in front of you, coconut water is the clear liquid inside of a young, green coconut. Coconut water is slightly salty when it comes from coconut palms located near the sea. Coconut water is an isotonic beverage, meaning it is good for rehydration as it contains sodium, potassium and magnesium.

After that, I had a couple of cans of guaraná, a kind of Brazilian soft drink made from guarana extract (plus sugar or other sweeteners), which is thought to be stimulant similar to caffeine. The soft drink tastes mild and slightly apple-like, with a berry aftertaste.

Finally, on the last day of vacation I had a caipirinha, Brazil's national alcoholic drink made of cachaça (sugarcane liquor), lime and sugar.

Milho Verde

Like many Americans, Brazilians love corn on the cob and consume milho verde (or "green corn") as a snack or street food. Normally, it is sold from a large cauldron of simmering water, salted and buttered, served in a corn husk and eaten on the run. You can ask the vendor to skip the butter and salt, and also ask to cut the kernels off the cob for you.  

Feijoada

This stew made of black beans and meat is from the area around Rio de Janeiro. Feijoada is considered one of the typical dishes of the country and, for many, it's Brazil's national dish. Best prepared over low heat in a thick clay pot, feijoada's ingredients include black beans, salted pork or beef and various vegetables, all in a thick broth usually served with rice. I also recommend feijão com arroz — rice and black beans served without meat.