FOOD AND DRINK IN BRAZIL - AVOIDING PROBLEMS

Food and Drink in Brazil – avoiding problems


For those who have chosen to move here and especially for those who are visiting Brazil for a short time there are some precautions you should take regarding eating and drinking in order to avoid discomfort or even more serious problems.

Water – You simply cannot drink tap water in most places in Brazil so don’t even try. In the major cities you may drink tap water that has been filtered (either using a tap fitted with a filter, passed through a separate drip-through filter or water purifier). For the same reason you should avoid asking for ice in your drinks unless you are sure that it too has been made with filtered/purified water. Drinking fountains in most public places are safe, but if you don’t see some kind of in-line filter or there is no sign saying the water is filtered take a pass on it, look for another one. Do not use any outdoor drinking fountains found in parks, public squares, etc., they are completely unsafe both in terms of the water quality and their sanitary conditions. If you plan on going to the park to spend the day, go for a run, etc., you are best off to take water from home or to buy bottled water. If here for a short while you should also avoid consuming watermelon or strawberries since their irrigation source is uncertain. Most Brazilians drink bottled water or mineral water. Lots of street venders sell homemade “freezie” type popsicles in a plastic tube which are called “gelinhos” here, again avoid these because of the unknown water source.

Canned/bottled soft drinks and beer – Never drink the beverage directly from the can or bottle unless it has first been washed thoroughly. This is especially important if you purchase it from one of the many street vendors or beach vendors, you have no idea where their ice comes from and all you need to do is look at the interior of the Styrofoam cooler to see the unsanitary conditions most such products are stored in. Use a drinking straw or disposable cup whenever possible.

Fruit & Vegetables – Regardless of where you purchase them they should be thoroughly washed in a basin of cold water that has had a few drops of liquid bleach added. Fruits and vegetables purchased at the supermarket or central market are generally speaking all of high quality, however you will also find good quality produce at lower prices at neighborhood produce shops (sacolão) and street markets that are held frequently all over the country. Organically grown produce may be found at many supermarkets.

Street food / Beach vendors – Observe the sanitary conditions of the place where you are buying your snacks. Things like pastels or other deep fried foods, for example, pay particular attention to the color and smell of the cooking oil used. One rule of thumb to observe is never order anything that contains eggs or mayonnaise unless you are absolutely certain that it has been kept properly refrigerated at all times. If you are ordering kebabs (churrasco / espeitinhos) make sure you ask for the meat to be well done (bem passado) not on the rare side. The longer the meat is cooked the less the chance of contracting any food related illness. Also don’t overdo it in your consumption, excessive consumption of meat can cause some real digestive discomfort and lots of time prisoner to the toilet.

While it might be really tempting to buy something to snack on or even a light meal from a beach vendor just remember that he or she has probably been there on the beach under the hot sun the whole day long, that cooler has been opened a thousand times or more. How well refrigerated can the food inside really be? If possible restrict your food purchases to beach restaurants where the chances are better that the food has been properly stored and prepared.

Meat, Poultry & Fish – When you buy these items in a large supermarket you can be relatively certain they are fresh and fit for consumption. However, some small and unscrupulous supermarkets have a nasty habit of repackaging things that have expired and giving them new validity dates so really you should trust your nose and how the product looks too. Fresh fish should have no odor at all, if it smells “fishy” it has spoiled. Although sale of meats, poultry and fish in small street markets has been banned because there is no way of tracing the product’s origin or fitness for consumption the practice still happens. Don’t buy them from a street market. Large public markets (Mercado Central/Municipal) in most cities sell reliable products. In many costal towns and cities you will also be able to purchase fish and other seafood right off the boat. Generally speaking these are as fresh as you can get and the prices are reasonable. Myself, I would rather spend the time going down to the dock and picking out my fish and thereby supporting the hard working fisherman rather than pay inflated supermarket prices. Sadly that is not possible here in São Paulo. When I first arrived in Brazil it was common to see meat, poultry and fish sold in the numerous street markets. This has since been banned. If you do see a vendor selling any of these products DO NOT BUY there, the products are of unknown origins and also usually not kept refrigerated properly. Many such products can even be from hijacked cargos.

Eggs – You will note that even in the largest supermarkets here in Brazil eggs are not kept refrigerated. This is something completely unheard of in most other countries. Eggs really must be kept refrigerated to prevent Salmonella bacteria from forming, this is very dangerous. I buy and consume eggs frequently and so-far have been lucky. Once you get them home you should wash them, put them back in the container and place them on the shelf in your refrigerator. Eggs should never be stored in the refrigerator door (again Salmonella is the concern). I don’t know why the egg containers that the appliance manufacturers put in fridge doors haven’t been banned ages ago. Also when using eggs, it is best to always break your eggs, one-by-one, into a separate bowl and not break them directly into the food you are preparing. This way you won’t have to throw everything out and start over from scratch if you should break open a rotten egg.

Milk – Fresh pasteurized milk is not extremely popular here in Brazil so you won’t see it much, you will be able to find it in many supermarkets in 1L plastic pouches. By far most of the milk sold here in Brazil comes in 1 liter boxes and it is UHT (Ultra high temperature) treated milk. You should pay attention to the validity date. While I haven’t heard of any recent cases, a few years back several dairy producers were caught adding Caustic Soda to milk to keep it from spoiling. It actually became a joke here in Brazil – when you asked for milk in your coffee or tea generally the question that followed was, “com ou sem soda caustica”? UHT milk can be safely stored unrefrigerated for prolonged periods (within the validity dates) without any problems. Once opened it should be kept refrigerated and consumed within 24 to 48 hours. Leave the milk in the original box, cut a small piece of the tip off of the lift tab and when done fold the tab back down and return the box to the fridge. If you are making up powdered milk, make it with filtered or purified water only.

Canned / Bottled goods - Pay attention to the validity dates. Never buy anything in a can that is dented, damaged in any way or rusting. Once you get the product home, wash the can or bottle before you store it, or at the very least before you open it. (Never know what kind of nasty little critters have been all over it.)

Spicy foods – Many Brazilian regional dishes are extremely hot and spicy. Unless you are well accustomed to spicy foods and hot sauce try to limit your consumption. Nothing can spoil a vacation like a case of “Montezuma’s Revenge”.

Brazil has a very rich and diversified cuisine. The regional dishes that you find all over Brazil will make your mouth water and once you have experimented with a new dish it will remain in your memory forever. The worst thing about Brazilian food will by trying to decide what dish you liked best. In big cities like São Paulo and Rio you will also find a wide range of international cuisine too, just in case you get the urge for something from home. Follow the foregoing simple rules and “Bom Apetite”.

NOTE : For anyone who hasn’t a clue what the Portuguese names are for foods and other products, like spices and seasonings, you will find at the supermarket send me a private message with your e-mail address and I will send you a complete and comprehensive list of Portuguese/English translations. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader since the file is in .PDF format.

Cheers,
William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog