Food and drink in Brazil
I am still trying to adjust to the time zone (and season) back in Los Angeles. It was winter and five hours earlier in Rio. I am also going to have to take some time to go through the 2000 photos I took, not to mention the ones Kevin took.
Food was a mixed bag - a lot of it was way too salty, and some of it was also too sweet, but salt was the major problem. We had kitchens in the two apartments where we stayed, and we did prepare some of the food ourselves, but we mostly ate out. Probably the best thing I had was the octopus. Kevin took photos of that, but I haven't gotten them from him yet.
Anyway, I'm back home now, and still a bit groggy and disoriented, but it's good not to have to try to communicate in Portuguese any more. My Spanish did not suffice, and hardly anyone spoke English, but the friend who invited me to travel with him (Dean) is fluent in Portuguese, and he did pretty much all of the talking for us. I would not go back without taking a class in Portuguese first.
We went to a very interesting food fair in a park in Ipanema, and I'll post photos of that later. We also visited the Christ statue, the top of Sugarloaf, the botanical gardens, Ilha Grande, and a national park 1-1/2 hours north of Rio near Teresopolis - at about 7000 feet elevation.
I do not have all of my food photos organized yet.
Here I am at a restaurant at the top of Sugarloaf:
Comments (22)
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Kevin liked the caipirinhas, and I especially liked the coconut water. The pineapple juice I had there was also the best I've had. Here are some caipirinas stands on the beach, for Pam:
Today we went to BestBuy because I had to buy a replacement computer, as my current one is trying to die, and so I am going to have to set up a new one. We decided to have lunch in Culver City while there and were going to go to a Korean sushi place right next to BB, but no restaurants were open except for the Pampas Grill, a Brazilian cafeteria, and so we went there and had Brazilian food again, even though Kevin protested. That's the third time in less than a week that we have gone to Brazilian Churrascarias. The one in Culver City was very similar to the one we went to in Copacabana but cost almost twice as much. The food was slightly better at the Culver City one, and I had Thai coconut water. Related Discussions
low carb foods and low sugar foods
Comments (5)I'll try to give you some answers from my experiences with both the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. Some people, maybe you, maybe not, but definitely me, have a low tolerance for high carb foods, such as pasta, white rice, potatoes, breads, sweets, and even things like fruit juice. If I eat some of those, my blood sugar spikes and I want to eat more and more of these foods - therefore, weight gain. If I eat a small portion of whole wheat bread and a small portion of the whole fruit (with fiber - not just the juice) the body has to work longer and harder to digest the "good" carbs and my blood sugar doesn't spike high. Atkins has you eat enough meat, eggs, salads, and lower carb vegetables to fill you up and make you feel satiated while keeping the carb count to 20-30 grams per day, which is very low. On this plan I felt great and had plenty of energy and lost 22 lbs. in 2 months, but couldn't maintain that strict way of eating. South Beach emphasizes the "good" carb foods like, whole wheat products, brown rice, beans, and less saturated fat in meats, butter, and cheese. I've lost 11 lbs. in 6 weeks doing the SB diet and feel that it is a healthier way of eating that I can stay on forever. SB does get a little confusing at times; they have updates where they add foods that previously were not on their list of foods to enjoy; some foods they promote are hard to find in all areas or are expensive. For myself, I'm sort of combining the elements of Atkins and SB. I make my own Whole wheat bread, stay away from lots of processed foods, and those chemically toxic bottles of Diet Coke/Pepsi/Mt.Dew/etc. - sorry, but I had to say it! I do put real butter on my morning toast but don't have any butter the rest of the day. I use olive or safflower oil in cooking. I start each day with 1 or 2 eggs with turkey bacon or my homemade lean sausage and I have a cup or two of coffee each day. I usually have a small portion of fruit during the day, but not eaten all at once. I take nuts and cheese for my snacks and keep dinner to a protein and salad or vegetable. I try to drink a lot of water each day and have just discovered that I like Crystal Lite diet drink mix - but I add more water than is called for as I like them weaker. And I don't drink it exclusively all day. My job provides me way more walking and physical activity than I want. I'm also dealing with menopause - which I thought I was completely through - arrrggghhhh! But I'm not on hormones and don't plan to be. When I used to eat too much of a high carb food like potatoes, I would feel like a big couch potato - no energy at all. When I stick to protein and vegetables, I feel better and have more energy. It just takes a while to get completely away from our old eating habits. I've said I'm going to post a big sign at home and at my office that says "REMEMBER HOW GOOD LOW CARB FEELS!" Hah! You might want to do some internet searching and read up on low carb diets in general and Atkins and South Beach in particular. This seems to be more than just a fad now - companies are investing in making low carb products, fast food restaurants are adding low carb menus and....Krispy Kreme doughnut stock has recently gone down!! LOL! If you have other questions, I'll be glad to answer if I can. Teresa...See MoreBrazil?
Comments (16)Even after so many years (OP’s kids are adults now), I still feel the need to comment, in case someone else stumbles upon this post like I did. Saying “Brazil isn’t for families” is such a prejudiced phrase that I don’t even know where to start — so I won’t. Compared to other countries, including the US, I’d say Brazil doesn’t offer much when it comes to tourism infrastructure. Our museums are generally small and few. Our beaches can be beautiful, but some areas are risky due to crime, so travelers need to do their research. We have some water parks and amusement parks, both indoor and outdoor, but they’re limited. Personally, I would never go to Rio, not even for work — I’d rather change jobs. That said, we live in Brazil, we have kids, and we have families here. There are things to do, and no, we are not just about soccer, women, and samba. If that’s the extent of what you know about our country, then you’re stuck with the outdated image that our own government pushed in the 1960s and 70s. We’re just a country like any other. São Paulo (the city) has plenty to offer — it’s one of the most culturally rich cities in Brazil. There are theaters, concerts, excellent restaurants, beautiful parks for family outings, many museums, and a lot of tourist spots to visit. It’s not as dangerous as Rio, but like any large city, you should take precautions. In the South, there are great destinations like Gramado, which has lots of attractions for kids; beaches (though the water tends to be cold); Curitiba, which is worth at least a day trip; and Beto Carrero World, a major amusement park. In the state of Goiás, there’s Rio Quente, a town famous for its natural hot water parks. The most well-known is Pousada do Rio Quente, though there are probably newer, more modern options now — it’s worth researching. In the state of São Paulo, besides the capital, there are also natural water parks in Olímpia. There are wine routes, farm hotels, and other rural experiences. The Northeast has stunning beaches and resorts, though the infrastructure is often not as developed as in São Paulo. Yes, there’s Manaus and the Amazon, and probably tours (no, you don’t need to start in Peru), but I’ve never been, so I can’t speak from experience. I would personally be cautious about doing a trip like that with kids — but that’s how I’d feel about any tropical forest. There are zoos, museums, parks, play areas (“brinquedotecas”), libraries, science museums, planetariums, and amusement parks. They may not be as large-scale as those in the US, but they exist — and yes, they can absolutely justify a trip to Brazil, especially if you already want to visit. And yes, the food here is great!...See MoreFMN Friday Night Music: Food & drink, eating, cooking, meals, etc
Comments (35)Hey Lars - FWIW, it's 'poke' salad - made from pokeweed shoots. They spelled it wrong for that video. You used to find it canned in some grocery stores here in the South, but I haven't seen that in many years now....See Moredo you have food & drink pairings for certain foods?
Comments (35)I like Zalco's combinations, but I also like to have a bit of red wine with Brie or Camembert, if it is in the evening. I like to have sparkling white wine with crab, which I normally have as a Crab Louis salad. This is my favorite thing to have for NYE....See More- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
I'm still a bit jet-lagged and am not back on a regular meal schedule, but here are some photos of the food fair in Ipanema:
Chandon is a Brazilian sparkling wine, similar to Champagne. DB (Kevin) bought a glass and brought home the plastic wine glass as a souvenir. I tasted it, and it is pretty good, but I think it would taste better in glass than in plastic! I only bought fruit and some little coconut cakes at the fair - we had just had lunch plus dessert just before. Here's the dessert we shared at a very nice restaurant in Ipanema:
Did you learn any Portuguese from the exchange student who visited you? I find it somewhat difficult to learn because the pronunciation is (to me) irregular, and I have to listen to someone speak it to pick it up at all. The easiest word to pick up was obrigado, and I was never sure how to say bom dia. I usually pronounced the "D" like a "J", but not everyone did. The first sentence I learned was "Eu não falo português."
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 9 years ago
9 years agoGreat pictures! I'm looking forward to more. My wife and I have been to Rio three times. She is a Systems Engineering professor and was running a US/Brazil exchange program along with a couple of Brazilian professors. So she "had" to go there as part of the exchange program.
By the third trip we felt comfortable enough with the city to rent bikes and ride them to the botanical gardens or to take the subway to the Rio Central area or the Zoo.
I even went on a guided walking tour of one of the Favelas which felt a little weird.
Our most memorable food experience was when one of the Brazilian professors took us out to a restaurant that specialized in Moqueca and other food from northern Brazil. It was memorable because of the food, but more so because at the end of the meal when they brought the bill, the Brazilian professor spent 45 minutes arguing and haggling first with the waiter and then the restaurant owner trying to negotiate a better price.
Lars thanked bob_cville- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
I had trouble with Portuguese because I found it difficult to pronounce, since the pronunciations do not follow strict rules. I think I could pick it up with some effort, whereas I never mastered French pronunciation, even though the French can understand me - they just hate my accent.
Here's a seafood meal we had June 30 somewhere in Rio after visiting Sugarloaf:
We ordered a platter that had lots and lots of shrimp (heads on), squid, some white fish of some sort, and we also had some crab empanadas for appetizer:
which you can see half-eaten in this photo.
The tartar sauce was very interesting and was very unlike tartar sauce I have had here. It did have mayo, but it also had a lot of shredded vegetables in it, and I could not identify them. I would make it if I knew how. I ate the shrimp with the heads, as they were crunchy, and it was too much trouble to try to peel small shrimp. Kevin peeled all of his, however. My main complaint was that they were too salty, like much of the food in Brazil.
The restaurant was called Siri Frutos Do Mar and was not close to where we stayed. I had pineapple for dessert.
- 9 years ago
Was the National Museum this one?
We walked by it on the way to the zoo, but didn't have time for both.
Lars thanked bob_cville - 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
No, we went to the National Historic Museum, which I think is downtown. Anyway, it was not far from the Modern Art Museum. We did not go to the zoo, but I would have liked that.
Here are some photos from the National Historic Museum:
First we had lunch at their restaurant, which has railroad tracks running through it.
My first (and only) hamburger in Brazil. It had a pile of very good mushrooms on it, topped with a deep fried hard boiled egg.
Here's the egg cut open. I gave half of it to Kevin, as I'm not much of an egg person. The BBQ sauce was good, however.
Old stove in the museum.
Two old stoves.
Courtyard photo, for no particular reason!
We took lots of photos with our phones in this museum - I did not want to carry around my regular camera, and the phone was easier to use. Most photos were not food or cooking related, however, and so I won't post them here.
- 9 years ago
I wonder if the link to the restaurant you posted above might be to a different one with the same name? The map link from your link points to a spot somewhere in the middle of Rio, pretty far from anything. A good guess would be that that location would be about an hour of driving from Sugarloaf, and looking more closely at that spot on the map shows that seems to be inside a large shopping mall, in a slightly questionable neighborhood.
Another restaurant with the same name and logo is located on the edge of Barra da Tijuca where much of the new building for the Olympics took place.
Do you remember if the front of the restaurant looked like this?
and the view from outside included this dramatic bridge and the distinctive mountain in the background.If you will be only posting food-related photos here can you at least post a link here to you postings in other forums so interested Cooking forum can find them and follow along?
I never went to either of the museums you mentioned, so I'd love to see pictures of what I missed. I have been in that area and saw the Municipal Theater, the National Library, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, the Carioca Aqueduct and rode the trolley across it to Santa Teresa, and on my last trip found Selaron's Stairs, which were created over many years by a local artist
I didn't go up the stairs because a couple people warned me that my large camera would make me an inviting target.
After reviewing the photos later I discovered that it I had gone up the stairs, I could have met the artist who was sitting there surrounded be a group of people.
Lars thanked bob_cville 
PRO9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoHere is an updated link to Siri Frutos do Mar. The one we went to is in Tijuca, as I can recognized from the photos. It was on a corner, and each corner of the intersection had a different seafood restaurant.
Since this thread is old enough now, I will post a few non-food related photos, per your request. I did not want this to seem like a travelogue, however, and was hesitant to stray off topic here. However, at this point, I don't think it will matter much.
Views from the Christ Statue (which everyone takes):
Boats at Ilha Grande:
Volley Futball, at Ipanema:
Juice stand in Copacabana:
Here's a link to the Bromeliad forum thread.
Beach walkway in Ipanema:
DB Kevin at Zaza Bistro in Ipanema:
I'm at work now, but I have more photos at home and will post more later, to show other places in Rio that we went. We would have enjoyed seeing the steps that you showed! Maybe we'll go back in three years, when Dean has to go back again to collect rent.
9 years agoLars thanked dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m- 9 years ago
What plane crash was that? I only remember a plane landing in the Hudson river.
While I was in Rio, there were major demonstrations against the government, and there were several random fires in the city on one particular day. On our next to last day, it was difficult to navigate through the city because of traffic jams caused by the demonstrations. I get a lot more news about Brazil by watching Deutsche Welle than I do from U.S. news stations. Supposedly, Brazil is in near crisis right now, but it was not that evident from being there. My friend Dean had problems with his money changing while he was at the airport to return home, and he ended up taking a different flight from us, the next day.
Last year, I was in Siena, Italy, when I saw the news of the Orlando massacre. We did not watch TV in Brazil, partly because we had poor cable selections, and partly because we had other things to do, especially since there were three of us.
Here's a photo of the road on the way to Teresopolis, which is located in the mountains ahead of us.
I took this photo while in the car - we had an Über driver while we were in Brazil, and he took us all over Rio plus to Teresopolis and the national park there. We took a bus on the day we went to Ilha Grande, however.
This is where we had lunch at Ilha Grande:
Since there were many openings, random birds did fly through from time to time. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet, which meant all you can eat until they ran out.
Here's a cafeteria lunch I had in Copacabana, for comparison:
This food is sold by weight and is fairly inexpensive.
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLars thanked dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
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