About Brazil

Brazil – Culture, Food & Diets
Being one of the biggest and most populous countries of the World, Brazil also gave birth to a unique and diverse culture. From the beaches of Copacabana, to the swarming capital of Brasilia, this Southern American state offers a great array of cultural activities.

One of the first things that pop to your mind when saying “Brazil” is of course their national sport, which made them so famous: soccer. World Cup Winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and at the last Cup held in Korea and Japan in 2002, they have won a large international prestige. The Copacabana beach is known to be a spontaneous training ground for future soccer players. It’s on this beach that Ronaldo, Rivaldo or Ronaldinho formed their playing abilities, barefooted through the hot sand.

Another important element of Brazilian culture is music and dancing. The well-known Samba dance is celebrated at the Rio de Janeiro carnival, where several Brazilian Samba schools compete against each other for the title of the best dancing school. Each school prepares exotic costumes for the men and women in the group and stroll the carnival infested streets of Rio, in caravans or on foot. The carnival is known for its beautiful women, great dancing and is a celebration of life and happiness in the World.

Other Brazilian customs regard the fighting-art of Capoeira, a style of martial arts that combines dancing and acrobatics with fighting. This martial art has become popular worldwide because of its spectacular, diverse moves. When first noticed at international karate contests, Capoeira flourished in other parts of the World like the U.S.A. or Europe.

The Brazilian cuisine is equally exotic and diverse as their culture. Despite being influenced by the South American and European cuisines alike, the Brazilian diet has managed to develop unique dishes and completely new cooking styles. Because of the size of the country and the diversity in climate, terrain and resources, several cuisines developed in different regions of Brazil.

Caruru do Par is a dish that is popular among the Brazilians from the North, although it’s starting to spread in other parts of the country. This dish is a combination of dried shrimp, okra, Onion, tomato, cilantro, and dendì oil. Seafood and shellfish is also very popular with the northeastern coastal regions of Brazil.

The Central and Central-Western regions have a diet that’s mainly based on fish from the important rivers and Beef and Pork from the vast ranches, along with the bounty harvested from the agricultural crops of manioc, corn, rice, and Soybean.

The south and southeastern region, is Brazil’s industrial heart and is home to some of the most exotic food recipes in the country’s cuisine. Feijoada Completa is one of these dishes and is the very popular in the region’s two big cities, Rio and Sao Paulo. The Feijoada Completa is a dish containing simmered Beans and meat, although it can also contain rice, corn or ripened cheeses. Another tasty delicacy from these regions is the gaucho (cowboy), a sun dried meat grilled on wood fire or prepared as a churrasco (barbecue).

The combination of peoples living in Brazil (native Indians, Spanish, Africans, Arabs, Portuguese, Italians, Chileans and so forth) gave birth to one of today’s most beautiful civilizations and cultures. Their joy for life and radiant happiness has become a national trademark, a Brazilian tradition. So whether they show it in sports, cultural activities, dancing, singing or food habits, the Brazilians are an exampled to be followed, at least regarding lifestyle.

More about Brazilian Culture
Other Regional Links:
 * More about this country on WikiPedia.com
 * Brazil Travel Guide - Travelguidewiki.com
 * Brazilian Fashion - Wikichic.com