Best Food in Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's national dish: a rich black bean stew with pork, sausage, and beef. Traditionally eaten on Wednesdays and Saturdays with rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour), orange slices, and collard greens.

All-you-can-eat grilled meats brought to your table on skewers. The rodízio style lets you try picanha (top sirloin), fraldinha (flank), and cupim (beef hump). Flip the card to green to keep meat coming.

Thick, frozen açaí berry pulp served in a bowl with granola, banana, and sometimes honey or condensed milk. Beach culture staple eaten as a post-workout snack or light meal.

Brazil's national cocktail made with cachaça (sugarcane liquor), lime, sugar, and ice. Muddle, shake, serve. Simple but dangerous—it goes down easy and hits hard.

Small, addictive cheese rolls made with tapioca flour and cheese. Crispy outside, gooey inside, naturally gluten-free. Eaten as a snack or breakfast.

A creamy fish stew made with coconut milk, palm oil, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Served in a clay pot with rice and farofa. The coastal version is lighter than inland preparations.

A sweet, fudgy chocolate truffle made from condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and chocolate sprinkles. Rolled into balls and served at every birthday party and celebration.

A crispy, thin fried pastry filled with cheese, meat, shrimp, or hearts of palm. Sold at street fairs and markets, best eaten hot and fresh with a sugarcane juice.

A naturally gluten-free crepe made from tapioca starch, filled with sweet or savory ingredients like cheese, coconut, banana, or meat. Crispy-chewy texture unique to Brazil.

Cold yerba mate tea served with lemon and sugar. Cariocas drink it constantly—it's Rio's unofficial beverage. Sold everywhere from beach vendors to restaurants.

Fried balls of salted cod mixed with potato, onion, and parsley. Crispy outside, soft inside. Classic Portuguese-Brazilian appetizer served with beer at bars.

The king of Brazilian steaks. Top sirloin cap with a thick fat layer grilled to perfection. Served in chunks at churrascarias or as a steak at restaurants.

Tear-drop shaped fried snack filled with shredded chicken and cream cheese, then breaded and fried. Ubiquitous at bakeries, parties, and snack bars.

Afro-Brazilian street food: black-eyed pea fritters fried in palm oil, split open, and stuffed with vatapá (shrimp paste), caruru (okra), and hot pepper sauce.

Fresh coconut water served straight from a young green coconut. Beach vendors chop the top with a machete and stick a straw in. Natural electrolyte replacement and the ultimate beach hydration.