Brazil

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, both by measures of geography and population. Samba music and dance, the beaches of Copacabana and the Amazon rainforest capture the world’s imagination. We think of the abject poverty and violence of inner-city Rio depicted in movies like City of God, and we think of sexy natives in small bathing suits. Above all, we think of the party.

The cuisine of Brazil is rich and varied. Waves of people from Europe and Asia introduced ingredients from their shores, and cracked wheat kibbeh comes from Middle Eastern countries. Grilled meats and seafood stews like vatapí and moqueca are popular, as are plantains, collard greens, and other vegetables. Cheese-yucca bread bites called pão de queijo are very tasty finger foods, and typical fruits include açai, cupuaçu, and passion fruit. Cachaça, made from sugarcane, is the native liquor of Brazil.

You can find a lot of restaurants serving organic, macrobiotic, raw, or vegan food, especially in Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo. Some of them offer Chinese, Thai, Taiwanese, Indian, or Japanese cuisines, but Brazilian food is more common and some buffets do include more health-conscious fare. Since Brazil is such a big, developing nation the offerings are pretty diverse, and most places of reasonable size at least have some kind of health food store or cafe.