What Are Brazilians Eating During Carnival? Here Are All The Typical Dishes!

Not only samba, dances, parades and costumes, the Brazilian Carnival is also a lot of culinary tradition. Undoubtedly we are talking about one of the most important events for the South American country that also becomes an occasion of culture and unity for all of Brazil. Over the years, the Brazilian Carnival has attracted the interest of people from every corner of the globe: today we will tell you what are the most famous culinary traditions for this festive period.

Feijoada, the National Dish of Brazil

Although feijoada is a dish that is eaten all year round in Brazil, it is served in large quantities during the characteristic Carnival. It consists of a hearty stew made of black beans, pork, rice, cabbage and farofa, a toasted cassava flour. Feijoada is often served with sliced ​​oranges, to aid digestion.

Given the large amount of calories that this dish provides, it is useful for recovering energy after a day of celebration like Carnival. Feijoada is a dish that has its roots in the history of Brazil and recalls the period of slavery when it was cooked and served by slaves on sugar and coffee plantations. Each region of Brazil has its own version of feijoada, which remains one of the most loved dishes in the entire country.

Carnival Street Food: Pão de Quellejo, Acarajé and Coxinhas

During the Carnival period in Brazil, in addition to bright colors, the streets are filled with stalls of street vendors. During the parades and dances, they sell a large quantity of street food. One of the most famous is the pão de queijo, which are small cheese sandwiches, soft and tasty. Then there are the coxinhas, which are fried chicken croquettes whose shape vaguely recalls a chicken leg or a Sicilian arancini. During Carnival, coxinhas are typical because they can be eaten comfortably while walking through the festive streets.

Continuing the journey in the Land of Samba, the acarajé, typical of Salvador de Bahia, also joins the typical street foods of Carnival. It is a dish of black bean and onion fritters, fried in palm oil and stuffed with vatapá (shrimp cream, bread and coconut milk), caruru (shrimp and okra condiment) and chili pepper.

Traditional Brazilian Sweets

If savory is an important protagonist of the Carnival celebrations, sweets are also never missing during one of the most important celebrations of the year. One of the most famous traditional sweets of this celebration is undoubtedly the bolo de rolo, typical of the state of Pernambuco. This sweet consists of a roll of sponge cake filled with guava jam. The texture is soft and the sweetness of the guava makes it perfect for a moment of pause between one dance and another.

Brigadeiros and papos de anjo are also added to the list of Brazilian Carnival sweets. The former are delicious chocolate balls that are prepared with condensed milk and butter and then mixed with bitter cocoa powder. Papos de anjo are beaten and cooked egg yolks and then caramelized in sugar syrup.

Caipirinha, the Brazilian Carnival Cocktail

The most famous cocktail in all of Brazil is without a doubt the caiprinha: an essential element in the Carnival tradition. It is made with cachaça (a sugar cane distillate), sugar, lime and ice. The capirinha is a refreshing cocktail, perfect for toasting during the intense days of Carnival.