World Cup Food: 9 Brazilian Foods You'll Want To Try (Slideshow)

Feijoada

This delicious bean stew is often referred to as the national dish of Brazil, so you should try it at least once when you visit the country. It's made with black beans and a plethora of salted pork and beef products (like pork trimmings, smoked pork ribs, bacon, smoked sausage, and jerked beef), all cooked up in a big clay pot. In some parts of the country, they also add vegetables like cabbage, kale, potatoes, carrots, okra, pumpkin, and sometimes even banana. These are often added at the end of the cooking process so the juices from the stew can infuse them without making them limp. The end broth is usually a glorious, dark-purplish brown color.

Moqueca de Camarão

This Brazilian fish stew with fried shrimps is one of the country's most famous dishes. It's easy to make, has great texture, and is full of flavor. The shrimp is fried in palm oil with spices and coconut milk added at the end along with tomatoes, peppers, and vegetables.

Romeu e Julieta

This is a quick and quick traditional dessert of guava paste and white cheese stacked on top of each other. The paste has a sweet, slightly gritty quality that, combined with the saltiness of the cheese, makes it a big winner. Brazilians eat it as a kind of dessert sandwich or with a piece of paste and a piece of cheese on a fork... no definitive word, though, on why it's named after the famous Shakespeare play!

Vatapá

This tasty meal is made from shrimp, coconut milk, bread, and a special paste made from finely ground peanuts and palm oil. The shrimp can often be swapped out with chicken, tuna, or cod if you want a heartier meal and it's often eaten with white rice or acarajé

Acarajé

Peeled black-eyed peas are mashed into ball then deep-fried (similar to falafel balls) in palm oil. They're then split in half and stuffed with green and red tomatoes, fried shrimp, spicy pepper sauce, and a variety of other ingredients.

Pão de Queijo

This is a simple but popular dish, often eaten as a snack or just before a meal (or as a meal depending on how many you eat, really). They're really just little, doughy buns with cheese in the middle, baked until they're golden brown. They're crispy on the outside but fluffy and juicy on the inside.

Empadão

This is really Brazil's answer to the chicken pot pie — it's a baked casserole usually made with chicken, olives, hearts of palm, corn, and other fillings. If you're not keen on chicken you can use beef, shrimp, or any other type of meat instead. 

Brigadeiro

Chocolate lovers are in for treat when they visit Brazil — the country takes their chocolate very seriously! This bonbon dessert is a hot favorite year-round: They're chocolate truffles made with cocoa powder and condensed milk instead of cream and covered in chocolate sprinkles.

Quindim

A baked dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and ground coconut flakes baked into a round cake-like shape... it's seriously sweet, and seriously addictive.