The Best Things I Ate and Drank During Carnaval in São Paulo
Photo by Ferran Feixas/Unsplash Food Lists Carnaval
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro may be one of the most-hyped parties on the global stage, but Rio is far from the only city in Brazil to experience this wild, sun-drenched summer festival. I spent the week of Carnaval in São Paulo, Brazil’s (and the southern hemisphere’s) largest city, and I can truthfully say that I’ve never experienced a city-wide party so incredibly colorful, friendly, creative and downright fun. We skipped the parades and instead bounced from one bloquinho—a neighborhood block party where partiers walk, dance and drink up and down a central street—to the next.
At the bloquinhos themselves, food mostly seemed to serve a functional purpose to prevent partiers from succumbing to the effects of the scorching hot sun, excess substance consumption and occasionally crushing crowds, although I sipped on several particularly enjoyable drinks during the parties. The best food I tried was in the quieter moments between bloquinhos, where I was graciously invited into people’s homes or visited calm cafés in those sacred moments of party reprieve. The following are the dishes and drinks that particularly stood out to me during this stunning, electrifying whirlwind of a week.
Maracujá
Before I’d ever visited Brazil, I hated passionfruit (maracujá in Portuguese). To me, the fruit mostly seemed to consist of sandy, gritty seeds covered in a particularly thin layer of bitter-tasting fruit. But maracujá, being native to southern Brazil, is obviously much tastier there, and the intensely acidic fruit in its natural habitat is now one of my all-time favorite foods. Before making my way to the city of São Paulo, my friends and I spent a week in the oceanside city of Ubatuba, also located in São Paulo state, where I ate what seemed like pounds of juicy, perfectly ripe maracujá for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and occasionally in caipirinhas, classic Brazilian cocktails made with deceivingly strong cachaça).
Moscato from Era Dos Ventos
Although Brazil’s wine scene may be overshadowed by Chile, Argentina and even Uruguay in South America, I truly believe some of the continent’s most creative winemaking is centered in this country. A great example of this creative winemaking is this truly delicious Moscato from winemakers Luís Henrique and Talise Zanini of Era Dos Ventos. This full-bodied Moscato, despite its notes of honey and peach, is quite a bit drier than you might expect from a Moscato. With striking acidity and a long finish, this white wine stood up well to the thinly sliced, well-salted picanha my friend grilled for us.
Tomato and Onion Spread
At the same barbecue where I sipped the Moscato mentioned above, the hosts broke up rich, juicy cuts of meat with various Middle Eastern-inspired dips and spreads, which are classics, they said, due to the Lebanese influence immigrants have had on São Paulo. This tomato and onion spread, filled with roasted vegetables, garlic and a more-than-generous drizzle of olive oil, was perfect when served on crusty pieces of bread, casually ripped from the loaf and dipped in the succulent tomato juice.
Romeu e Julieta
The perfect salty-sweet bite, Romeu e Julieta is incredibly simple to make and enjoy. It combines salty and soft queijo minas, a white cheese that hails from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, with goiabada, a slightly sweet but acidic guava paste. The cheese is usually stacked onto a slice of goiabada, but our hosts cut both of the ingredients into small pieces and grilled them on skewers. A few minutes on the grill enhanced their flavors even more, warming the cheese until it was just shy of melting.
Xeque Mate
Speaking from experience, I can tell you that beer is not the move for Carnaval unless you have a particularly strong stomach. You don’t want all that carbonated liquid sloshing around in your stomach when temperatures reach 90+ degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps that’s why Xeque Mate has become the Carnaval drink of choice for so many. Mate, a caffeinated tea enjoyed by people in several South American countries, is paired with rum, guaraná and lemon for a refreshing, easily sippable drink that delivers the energy you need to party for the entire day. You can buy it in cans from the vendors that march along with the bloquinho, but it’s best when it’s made fresh.
Sopa de Mandioca
Mandioca, also known as cassava and yucca, is, in my opinion, the world’s most underrated starch. It feels more substantial than a potato but delivers that same thick richness to the dishes it’s found in. Although I love mandioca in all its forms, during this trip, I enjoyed it most in sopa de mandioca, or mandioca soup: thick, rich and meaty in all its glory. It’s immensely filling and comforting, and it’s the only thing my friends, who were cursed with food poisoning from some questionable airplane food during the first night of our trip, were able to stomach for a good 24 hours after their ordeal.
Riesling and Glera Sur Lie from Viapiana Vinhos
Sparkling wines are at the center of Brazil’s growing wine industry, and this Riesling and Glera Sur Lie from Viapiana Vinhos was among my favorites. Glera is the grape used for Prosecco, which reflects the Italian influence on Brazil’s wine industry, but the unconventional addition of Riesling gives this bubbly an impressive aromatic quality you won’t find in a standard Prosecco. Aging the wine sur lie, or on the lees (dead yeast cells), gives the wine that toasty, brioche-y quality you’d expect from Champagne. This wine showcases the thoughtful creativity and incredible potential of Brazilian sparkling wines.
Bacio di Latte Maracujá Gelato
Okay, I admit it! I am obsessed with maracujá. Perhaps the only thing better than the fruit itself is this maracujá gelato from Bacio di Latte. I don’t want to be dramatic, but this is easily the best gelato I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. It’s obscenely creamy, with a subtle sweetness that refuses to overshadow maracujá’s signature acidity. It’s so rich that you really only need a few spoonfuls to be more than satisfied, although not finishing the whole pint in a single sitting felt like a mistake.
Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.