Beach Food from Rio de Janeiro
Olá! My name is Rodrigo Floriano and I have worked in the Transportation area of the LSG Sky Chefs unit in Rio de Janeiro/GIG for one year now.
I would like to tell you about a very important part of a Carioca’s life: the beach. To explain a bit further, “Carioca” is the name given to people who are born in Rio de Janeiro, but it also describes a lifestyle, accent and special way to look into life.
Rio de Janeiro, “a cidade maravilhosa”
With Rio de Janeiro being such a beautiful city with amazing nature and the most famous beaches in world, it is easy to understand the importance of the ocean in our lives. The beach is where we do sports, socialize, go for a walk, and enjoy the weekend and the nice local weather. A central point of living the typical beach lifestyle is the food we customarily eat there.
The top choice for beach food in Rio de Janeiro is fried shrimp! All seafood is very popular at the beach because it has just recently been caught and is still very fresh. Besides shrimp, you can also find fresh fried fish, fried calamari rings and fresh oysters with lemon. To go with it, people usually also have grilled cheese sticks, empadas (little baked pies with a variety of fillings), French fries and ice cream.
Those delicious foods are combined with a wide variety of drinks to choose from, such as beer, natural juices, water, matte ice tea and a lot of green coconut water (which we drink directly from the coconut).
Biscoito Globo: The Most Traditional Snack Choice
The most traditional snack choice for the beach in Rio de Janeiro is Biscoito Globo with “Leão” (cold matte tea). Biscoito Globo is a nationally famous doughnut-shaped powder biscuit made of polvilho (manioc flower) and comes in two flavors: sweet and sour. The biscuits are quite cheap, very natural, make you feel satisfied, are low in calories and fat, and do not have any artificial coloring or preservatives.
My personal favorite choices are fried shrimp, grilled sardines, natural sandwiches and, of course, Biscoito Globo. All over the beach coast, you can find many different food options in both fixed and portable tents / kiosks. I usually go to the Ipanema, Barra, Reserva or Recreio beaches in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazilian Beach Food: My Recommendations
At Ipanema beach there is a kiosk called POR DO SOL, which has a delicious shrimp pastel (pastel is a traditional Brazilian snack, similar to empanadas, but fried). At Barra beach, I suggest the kiosk SIRI DA BARRA, with a perfect and friendly service that will allow you to taste the most amazing shrimp risotto!
I hope you too can come to Rio de Janeiro and enjoy our beaches, nice weather and beach food traditions; available all year Long!
Rodrigo