Want to look like a Brazilian? That one is a little tough: What exactly a Brazilian looks like is debatable for a country of nearly 190 million people that happens to be one of the most ethnically and racially diverse countries in the world. So instead, want to eat like a Brazilian? That one is a little easier. The Brazilian diet is very simple to follow. There is one rule: Eat.
Rice and Beans
To begin the Brazilian diet, load up on the carbs. Brazilians eat rice and beans with every dinner regardless of what the main course may be. The common thought on rice and beans is that it is a cultural staple due to its ability to fill a lot of stomachs for a cheap price. While it is true that it is an inexpensive food source, it is not the sole reason most Brazilians eat it everyday. You will find rice and beans in the homes of even the richest Brazilians. Why? Because they like it.
Brazilian rice begins risotto-style in hot oil, garlic and salt. Cover it in boiling water, lid the pot, and let the rice soak up the liquid. Beans (pinto beans) are usually cooked in a pressure cooker, then salted, oiled and spiced with garlic. You can cook the beans in a regular heavy-bottomed pot, either pre-soaked or dry, and add salt, oil and garlic during the cooking process.
Tapioca Is Not a Pudding
Expand your flour base to include varieties other than wheat, such as corn and tapioca flour. Tapioca, known as the funny little pudding balls in North America, comes from the manioc root, which is most widely consumed in Brazil as a flour and as a boiled root vegetable. Many things are made with manioc flour. Pão de quejo, or little tapioca flour cheese rolls, are one of the most popularly consumed foodstuffs in the nation. Try using tapioca/manioc flour as a replacement for wheat flour in some of your baking, including cookies, cakes, muffins and crackers. When peeled and boiled, manioc root is called mandioca and is eaten straight up with just a little salt. It may be difficult to locate manioc root in the United States, but some specialty markets do carry it.
What's a Vegetarian?
Do not try to be a vegetarian on the Brazil diet, as Brazilians eat a lot of meat. Usually a protein (fish included) is served twice a day. The Brazilian barbecue, known as churrasco, is not like the burgers and hot dog barbecues of the United States. Churrasco is a never-ending supply of salted meat cooked over flames on skewers for rotisserie. Eat pork, beef, sausages and chicken, with rice and beans. Try making long skewer meat kabobs over your backyard barbecue, but forgo the sticky marinades and sauces and try salt and slow roasting.
Make a Smoothie With That
Add more fresh fruit to your diet. As a tropical country, fresh fruit is available in Brazil year round: bananas, mangoes, papayas, goiaba (apple guavas), pineapple, apples, oranges, tangerines and everything in between. Brazilians eat fruit as is, as a juice, or in a vitamin (milkshake/smoothie). Breakfast of champions? Try an apple and avocado milkshake with sugar and milk. After dinner, instead of reaching for a chocolate cupcake, cut up a fresh pineapple instead.
Drink Up
Drink plenty of water, but don't forget the liquor. Cachaça is a liquor distilled from sugar cane and is the prominent component of the caipirinha, a cocktail made of muddled limes and sugar. The non-alcoholic drink of choice (which is also the national soda) is Guarana Antartica, a sweet soda made from the extract of an Amazonian berry. Brazilians love life to be sweet.
Tags: like Brazilian, manioc root, Brazilian diet, Brazilian That, Brazilian That little, fresh fruit
