Feijoada is a main staple of the Brazilian diet. It's a feast of stewed beans in a pork or beef gravy, accompanied by crisp yellow potatoes, crunchy pork cracklings, fresh shredded kale, fluffy farofa and orange slices, which are meant to ‘cut through the calories’ and aid in digestion. Adapted from the food of slaves, it is now regularly eaten for lunch on Saturdays in Rio.
There are endless choices of feijoada restaurants in Rio. But for a truly classic experience, head to the beating heart of Rio’s tourist hub, Ipanema, to Casa da Feijoada on any day of the week. In the quaint surroundings, waistcoated waiters serve up the traditional fare in mini cauldron-like pots. Pair the meal with the smoothest filtered caipirinhas in town, known as ‘batidas’, and end with a selection of traditional Brazilian sweets - goiaba jam, doce de leite (a sweet milk puree) or caramelized banana paté.
