The Cuisine of South Brazil

The South of Brazil consists of three states: Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Traditionally, ranching provided large quantities of high quality meat in this region. The gauchos (South American cowboys) who took care of the cattle have had a profound influence on the cuisine of this region. Typical dishes are churasco (Brazilian barbeque) and carne do sol (sundried meat). This region is located near Argentine and both countries share the gaucho culture. Yet, Brazilians butchers cut the meat in a different way than Argentine butchers.

The South of Brazil is mainly populated by the descendents of European immigrants, especially from Italy and Germany. They have brought a culture of pasta and wine from the Old World. Although the first grapevines were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, the Brazilian wineculture is mainly influenced by Italy and Germany. Brazil has a large variation of wines and has a lot of potential to expand wineproduction in the future.

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