There’s something you’ll find at all our hotels in Brazil: outstanding restaurants. Brazilian cuisine is simple, full of flavor, and widely considered among the best in the world. At Iberostar, local, seasonal ingredients are slow-cooked in our culinary spaces to create a truly distinctive experience.
To start, here is a journey into the heart of Brazil’s hidden flavors.
Brazil, discovered through its cuisine
A gastronomy shaped by Indigenous, African, and Portuguese roots
African and European influences, especially Portuguese, are present in Brazilian cuisine through its techniques and combinations, where savory, sweet, and spicy notes are balanced on the palate. At the center, the ancestral roots of Amazon and Atlantic peoples shine through. That is why Brazil’s traditional recipes have an unmistakable quality that is hard to explain: a blend of feeling, place, and time.
Flavor as cultural identity in every region
Each region’s cultural identity tells its story through food. An Amazon adventure, a discovery trip to Salvador de Bahia, or an ecotourism experience at hotels in Praia do Forte: whatever the plan, local dishes provide a way into the destinations’ history.
Dishes that define Brazil’s culinary essence
Feijoada: the stew that brings the country together every Wednesday and Saturday
Join the tradition of eating feijoada on Wednesdays and Saturdays while exploring Brazil’s beaches. The national dish of Brazil, with African origins, is a stew made with black beans, vegetables, salted meat, and sausages, served with white rice and side dishes such as millet, cooked cabbage, or a fried egg.
Moqueca baiana: fish, coconut milk, and dendê in a single ritual
Did you know that at our All Inclusive hotels in Brazil, responsibly sourced seafood is a priority? Moqueca baiana, a sailor’s stew prepared with a sense of ritual, features fresh fish, vegetables, coconut milk, cilantro, and dendê (red palm oil), plus another ingredient that may come as a surprise: leaves from native trees such as malagueta.
Vatapá: the Afro-Brazilian cream that wins people over with its unique blend
Traveling to Brazil means visiting one of South America’s top 10 destinations, but not only that: its Afro-Brazilian heritage opens the door to other cultures. Do not leave without trying vatapá, a fragrant cream made with wheat flour or bread, coconut milk, shrimp or fish, ginger, onion, cilantro, and nuts such as peanuts and cashews.
Pão de queijo: the Minas recipe that is hard to stop at just one
Pão de queijo, or Brazilian cheese bread, is a recipe from Minas Gerais that tends to be addictive. Similar to a small fritter, the dough is made with cassava flour, egg, milk, and, of course, cheese. Enjoy it and come back for more during a stay at 5-star hotels in Brazil.
Hidden flavors from the Amazonian north
Tacacá: a hot soup with jambu that numbs the tongue
Set out on a foodie expedition aboard a floating luxury hotel in the Amazon. Tacacá is a must on the menu: a soup made with cassava broth, dried shrimp, pepper, and jambu, an endemic herb that gently numbs the tongue. The how and the when matter: it is best in the late afternoon, sipped straight from a traditional clay bowl.
Pirarucú: the giant fish turned into a gastronomic treasure
Pirarucú is one of the Amazon’s most remarkable fish and, for river communities, also a gastronomic treasure thanks to its nutritional value and its earthy, slightly sweet flavor. Enjoy it grilled, served with cassava, or “en casaca” (breaded, with boiled vegetables and coconut milk).
Traditional açaí: very different from the international bowl
Açaí in Brazil is very different from the bowl eaten in the rest of the world. This “Amazonian black gold” is a superfood enjoyed as an unsweetened paste, mixed with cassava flour, fish, or meat. These curiosities of the Brazilian Amazon reveal other details that may come as a surprise.
Maniçoba: the “Amazon feijoada” cooked for a full week
The Indigenous version of feijoada is called maniçoba, and it is associated with patience and community life. Fish, or alternatively meat, is stewed with maniva (ground cassava leaves cooked for a week to remove the naturally occurring cyanide).
Sweets that surprise and delight
Brigadeiro: the country’s most iconic treat
Make the most of a stay at family hotels in Brazil to try brigadeiro, the country’s most emblematic sweet and one of the world’s best-loved desserts. It is a truffle-like bite made with dark chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. Children love it.
Creamy cocada: a northeastern classic with endless variations
Creamy cocada, a classic from northern Brazil, comes in many variations. The base, however, is always the same: cooked coconut pulp. More or less water can be added, along with sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, milk, and freshly grated coconut.
Quindim: a coconut-and-yolk dessert with a standout texture
A gastronomic getaway to the best hotels in Bahia becomes even sweeter with recipes like quindim, a delicate bite made with coconut, egg yolks, sugar, and butter, with a texture reminiscent of a cross between flan and sponge cake.
Pudim de leite: a must at any Brazilian celebration
Pudim de leite is a festive dessert made for sharing. Its ingredients include sweetened condensed milk, sugar, eggs, panela, and liquid caramel.
Drinks that pair with Brazilian flavors
Guaraná: a soda with its own identity
This South American country is considered one of the most recommended LGTBI+ destinations on the planet. Guaraná is part of this identity, defined by openness and diversity. Made from the Amazon fruit of the same name, it offers stimulating properties thanks to its naturally occurring caffeine.
Caipirinha: the perfect mix for any table
Imagine toasting with a caipirinha right on the beachfront, while enjoying the pleasure of staying at one of those Brazil hotels that truly stand out. Brazil’s most iconic cocktail comes from a simple yet bold mix: cachaça (a spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane) or rum, freshly squeezed lime, and a handful of crushed ice.
Caldo de cana: freshly pressed sugarcane juice
Caldo de cana is made by cold-pressing sugarcane. A special mill is used to extract all the juice from the plant without any artificial processing. Enjoy it to cool off and recharge at street stalls during a tour of Salvador de Bahia or while sunbathing in Praia do Forte.
Brazilian coffee: a tradition that travels from the countryside to the table
Brazilian coffee reflects the authenticity of rural life, with smooth, balanced aromas that set it apart. Its low acidity, creamy texture, and notes of chocolate and caramel make it an ideal drink to comfort body and soul at any time of day. Cafezinho is served in a small cup with plenty of sugar, while café coado is filtered through a cloth strainer.
Brazil’s magic lives in every hidden flavor
Every bite and every sip will connect you more and more to the magic of a destination where gastronomy goes beyond the plate, proudly reflecting the colors of every landscape. Discover them from the best hotels in Brazil.
