São Paulo
Gastronomy

As Brazil and São Paulo were formed by inmigragion, their gastronomy is varied and cosmopolitan. Gastronomically speaking, no international cuisine is missing in the approximately 30.000 bars and restaurants of South America's largest metropolis.

São Paulo is considered the place with most sushi - restaurants outside Japan and some say, that on Sundays, the paulistanos eat more pizzas than all Italians together. Be that as it may, two things are certain: nobody will starve do death in São Paulo and, for sure, slim - food was not invented here.

See also: city tours

Food in general is mostly fried and oily and garlic and onions are never missing. There are many so - called comida mineira restaurants in São Paulo which serve typical food from Minas Gerais and particularly Brazil's national plate, the feijoada (rice, manioc flour, a kind of kale, black bean stodge and pork scrap).

As most paulistanos are real "carnivores" who need a lot of meat, the most popular restaurants are probably São Paulo's steak houses, here called Churrascarias or Rodízios. By paying a kind of flat rate one can eat how much he wants (or can). Different types of meat (mostly beef) are served on skewers and the waiters only stops bringing new meat when a kind of marker on the table is turned to red. Meat quality is excellent wich is why only gross salt is used and no sauces. One of the most wanted steaks is the so-called picanha, a special sirloin cut which is usually not known in Europe or the US. Even if you are absolutely full, don´t miss a papaya or mango creme for desert.