Brazilian food and drink is some of the most diverse in the world, thanks to large immigrant groups from several continents that have made their way there.

Brazilian food and drink is every bit as diverse as the people that populate the country. Taking influence from Portugal, the Amazon, West Africa, and Morocco, Brazilian cuisine is enticing and delicious.

Many recipes are very regional and the food may contrast drastically from one of the country to the other. Different immigrant groups and produce found in individual regions of Brazil are a direct cause of this. The basic ingredients of Brazilian cuisine are beans (feijao), coconut, lemon, shrimp, cod, rice and manioc.

The wide variety of immigrants to Brazil has no doubt influenced the cuisine. Brazil’s earliest peoples were tribal groups that lived in the tropical forests that dominate much of the country. The Portuguese arrived in 1500 and imported African slaves, thus the fusion of foods began and was later influenced by various immigrant groups from Europe and Asia.