Tapioca is also used throughout dishes here, so fried Tapioca, or Dadinhos de Tapioca, filled with cheese are also very popular snacks foods here. Fried snacks like pasteis or dadinhos are served at almost every restaurant!
While I still enjoy having just a sandwich or a smaller snack on occasion, eating a balanced prato feito always leaves me feeling satisfied and ready for the rest of the day. Moqueca is quickly becoming my comfort food, and always makes me feel happy and content. Most weekly farmer’s markets have pasteis and Dadinhos de Tapioca, so they are a happy treat when I want something to snack on but not a full meal.
Farofa is toasted cassava flour, often seasoned with butter, bacon, eggs, etc. The seasoning varies, but it adds a unique crunchy texture and savory flavor to the dish it accompanies. Farofa is often a key component of a prato freito, along with rice, a protein like grilled chicken, some vegetables, and feijão. Feijão is an essential side dish in Brazilian cuisine, and is a thick, slow cooked soup seasoned with garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, and often sausage or bacon.
Moqueca is typically cooked in a clay or cast iron pot, and seasoned with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and other spices. It is generally served in a hot bowl, and is best enjoyed when shared since serving sizes require at a minimum two people.
