Cuisine from the Southeast Region: typical dishes and recipes

The cuisine of the Southeast region is rich and diverse, the result of the mixture of different cultures, such as Portuguese, African and indigenous.

The region's typical dishes are known for their variety of ingredients, flavors and aromas.

Typical dishes

Here are some of the typical dishes of the Southeast region:

• Feijoada:a traditional Brazilian dish, made with black beans, various meats, such as bacon, sausage, paio and dried meat, and seasonings.
• Moqueca capixaba:a dish of fish or seafood cooked in a clay pot with coconut milk, onion, tomato, pepper and coriander.
• Fair pastry:a fried snack, filled with ground meat, chicken, cheese, hearts of palm or other ingredients.
• Pamonha:a delicacy made with corn, milk and sugar, steamed.
• Shrimp risotto:a dish made with rice, shrimp, white wine, parmesan cheese and other ingredients.

Recipes

The cuisine of the Southeast region is a mix of different cultures, such as Portuguese, African and indigenous. Portuguese colonization brought with it ingredients and culinary techniques from Europe, such as beans, rice, wheat and olive oil.

Africans, in turn, introduced new ingredients and flavors, such as palm oil, okra and acarajé. The indigenous people also contributed to the region's cuisine, with ingredients such as cassava, corn and guaraná.

The cuisine of the Southeast region is rich and diverse, with typical dishes from each state. In Rio de Janeiro, for example, feijoada, acarajé and barbecue stand out.

In São Paulo, the cuisine is more cosmopolitan, with influences from different parts of the world. In Espírito Santo, moqueca is the most famous dish. In Minas Gerais, the cuisine is known for its sweets and cheeses.

Here are two typical recipes from the Southeast region:

Feijoada

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of black beans
• 1 kilo of dried meat
• 500 grams of Calabrian sausage
• 500 grams of paio
• 500 grams of bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green chilli
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation method:

1. Soak the dried meat in cold water for at least 24 hours, changing the water 3 times in the process.
2. In a large pot, cook the black beans in water until tender.
3. Remove the dried meat from the water and cut into cubes.
4. In a large pan, fry the bacon until crispy.
5. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
6. In the same pan, fry the pepperoni sausage and paio.
7. Remove the sausage and sausage from the pan and set aside.
8. In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, tomato and pepper.
9. Add the dried meat, sausage, paio and black beans.
10. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
11. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the flavors are incorporated.
12. Serve with white rice, sautéed cabbage and farofa.

Moqueca from Espírito Santo

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of white fish in slices
• 500 grams of medium shrimp
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup of palm oil
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation method:

1. Season the fish and shrimp with salt and black pepper to taste.
2. In a large pan, sauté the onion, garlic, tomato and pepper in palm oil.
3. Add the fish, shrimp, cilantro and coconut milk.
4. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the ingredients are cooked.
5. Serve with white rice and farofa.

These are just some of the many culinary delights of the Southeast region.

Try these dishes and discover why the region is known for its rich and tasty cuisine.