Feijoada
Brazil’s most famous dish. There are whole chapters of cookbooks dedicated to it but at the simplest level it is a pork and bean stew. Very filling and sits heavy in the stomach. Served with farofa (manoic flour cooked with butter and salted) and couve (collard greens). The meal is traditionally finished with a quarter of an orange to help digestion. Served in restaurants and lanchonetes across the country on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Churrasco – Picanha
Top sirloin, cut from the top butt flat
Bobó de camarão
Little balls of shrimp with manoic flour, garlic and onion.
Tutu de feijão
Beans cooked with manioc flour and spices.
Carne seca
Salty meat dried on the sun (distinction from carne de sol is that this has more salt).
Muqueca de peixe or arraia
An African influenced dish traditional to the North East. Fish cooked in a coconut milk with garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes and importantly dende oil.
Patinhas de caranguejo
Crab legs (much easier to eat than pronounce)
Carne de sol
Salty meat dried on the sun (popular in the northeast)
Sushi
Not strictly Brazilian but São Paulo has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. You can find top quality sushi and pay reais not yen.
Pizza
Again not strictly Brazilian but São Paulo is known for its pizza. Put this one down to a lot of Italian migrants.