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If you happen to find yourself anywhere in Brazil or happen to bump into a food truck that sells authentic Brazilian food, go for it! Brazil finger foods or street foods are unbelievably tasty and full of flavor. Here is a list of your must-try Brazilian street foods.
The Tacacá – This is a delightful mix of Brazilian, Portuguese, and African ingredients that looks a little mysterious because the broth is yellowish with shrimp and a green vegetable called jambu that turns dark when cooked.
The Acarajé – A wonderful deep fried ball with dry shrimp stew bursting out one side as the filling. In Brazil, a vendor of this particular street food is dressed in the traditional “bahian” style with the white headdress and poufy dress. The dish has an African influence as well and has been controversial throughout its existence because of its name so of you happen to come across a dish that looks like acareje but called differently simply ask the vendor if it is the Brazilian fried shrimp stew ball
The Pamonhas – Made from mashed corn, these resemble tamales or can take other shapes. It’s slightly sweet and incredibly filling. In Brazil there are even pamonhas cars that go around blaring loud music to attract attention from buyers –almost like a food truck but very mobile.
The Empadinha – Every country’s got their own special meat pie and for Brazilians, it called the empadinha. It is chopped, well-seasoned meat, vegetables, or seafood inside a mini pie crust and baked to a golden brown color. It’s often sold in beachfronts and bakeries aside from food carts and kiosks.
Caldo de Cana – This is a sweet juice drink made from freshly squeezed sugar cane. Drink it pure or mixed with other fruit juices. This is one drink you need to watch out for it’s loaded with sugar even the mixed variety.
Skewered Food or Kebabs – Brazil has several kinds of barbeque on sticks like the quejo coalho which is grilled cheese, chicken hearts, beef kebab, shrimp, and spicy sausages. The best time to eat these is right off the grill or on the beach any time of the day or night.
Tapioquinha – Crepes made from tapioca starch with an assortment of fillings. This type of crepe is perfect for those who enjoy a crunchy, oil-free snack especially with cheese or coconut filling.
Finally, we have pastel which is a large dumpling, deep fried with over 20 kinds of filling like ground beef, cheese, palm heart, chicken, assorted vegetables, fruits, chocolate, fish, and a combination of herbs and vegetables, among many others. They’re great for food on-the-go and they can be found in most markets, street stalls, fancy restaurants, and coffee shops in Brazil.