10 Of The Best Street Foods To Eat In Brazil

If you’re traveling to Brazil you need to try out some the great street food they have. While they might not have such an extensive and crazy selection such as in China for example, there are certainly a few tasty gems to try out while you are there. Here is 10 of the best street foods to eat in Brazil.

Empadinha

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image courtesy of E Sortica.

If done well, Brazilian meat pies can be a street food delight. They are usually filled with seasoned palm hearts, chicken or shrimp. Find them at the beach or in bakeries.

Espetinho de Camarão

Skewers are very popular in Brazilian street food cuisine. Espetinho de Camarão are shrimp skewers, which are often sold at the beach. They are marinated in an olive oil, garlic and lime marinade. The exact ingredients for the marinade can vary.

Queijo Coalho

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image by Thiago Parente

Another favorite at the beach is this fried cheese stick, which is often flavored with an oregano or garlic sauce. Eating one of these for lunch should keep you pretty full to get through a hard afternoon at the beach.

Tapioquinha

Crepes are popular all over the world and also in Brazil they have their own version of the French crepe. Tapioquinha is a crepe made with tapioca starch, which is cooked without using any oil. You can choose among a number of fillings. Cheese, coconut and condensed milk are very popular.

Pamonha

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image by Isalinky

Pamonha is made of grated and juiced corn that is mixed into a type of dough, which is then wrapped in corn husks and boiled in water. You can get either sweet or savory pamonhas. The savory ones are usually filled with meat or are served without any additional stuffing. The sweet ones usually don’t have stuffing but coconut milk is sometimes added.

Tapioca or Cuscuz (depending on where in Brazil you are)

This pudding made from tapioca balls (balls made from tapioca, which is a starch that is extracted from the tapioca plant), grated coconut and coconut milk is served with condensed milk poured over it. A great street food for people with a sweet tooth.

Caldo de Cana

This sugar bomb is made from sugar can juice, sometimes mixed with lime or pineapple juice. It has a very pleasant taste, but don’t make it your staple drink if you want to avoid a sugar overdose.

Tacacá

A type of meal soup that is made with manioc juice, dried shrimp, tapioca starch and jambu (a green vegetable). A delicious mashup of Portuguese, African and Brazilian food culture.

Pastel

Pastel is a sort of deep fried dumpling that can be filled with anything that your heart might desire, including cheese, fish, shrimp, chocolate (yes you read that right), dried cod, etc.

Acarajé

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Acarajé is a deep fried ball made out of mashed black eyed peas, mixed with dried shrimp.

You’re probably already booking your flight to Brazil right now, but if you do decide to stay in the U.S. for now, you can taste some of Brazil’s amazing cuisine at your local churrascaria. They might not serve all of these street foods, but they should be able to offer you a taste of some delicious Brazilian food.

Zane Schwarzlose is a writer at Estancia Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse in Austin, Texas. Zane got hungry just writing this article.