The Brazilian Cuisine

The Brazilian cuisine is versatile. The Brazilian culture results from a mixture of European, Amerindian, African and Asian cultures and this is reflected in its food. When the Portuguese came to Brazil in the 16^th century, the country was populated by Amerindians. Before slavery was finally abolished in the year 1888, more than 5 million Africans were transported to Brazil. In the 19^th and 20^th century, Brazil was populated by large groups of immigrants from Italy, Germany, Poland, Libanon, Syria, Spain and Japan. At this moment there are more than 20 million Brazilians who have Italian ancestors. Especially the cuisines of Italy and Africa have had a profound influence on the Brazilian cuisine.

The Brazilians blended ingredients and recipes from various continents long before Europeans and North-Americans spoke about fusion kitchen . Some of these dishes are typically Brazilian, but it is common practice to find foods from different parts of the world on a Brazilian table.
 

Culinary regions

Brazil can be subdivided in 5 regions with their own distinct culinary traditions: