10 Things You Need To Know About Brazilian Food And Drink Before The Olympics

Before we get into the cuisine of Brazil, here's a little background on this South American country. Brazil is the largest nation in all of Latin America, and the fifth largest in the world in terms of both area and population. It has a 4,655-mile coastline, and borders every South America country except Ecuador and Chile. The main language is Portuguese, the capital is Brasília, and the largest city is São Paulo (which is also the third-largest city in the world).

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In relevant news, Brazil — specifically Rio de Janeiro (about 225 miles northeast of São Paulo) — is hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, which kick off on Friday, August 5. Due to this internationally popular event, tourism is seeing a hefty spike this year, and you or someone you know might be heading south sometime soon.

We hope you're going, but even if you're not, you might interested to know a little bit about the culture of this fascinating country — specifically its wonderful cuisine. Consider this Brazilian Food 101, because here are 10 things you need to know about Brazilian food and drink.