Gastronomy

There’s always room for one more at the table!

The food and flavours of Minas Gerais provide a slice of history, with influences from indigenous, African and European recipes created from home-grown ingredients including chicken, pork, cheese, corn, roots, herbs, and vegetables from the region.

Typical of the region are:

• Cheese bread (the famous pão de queijo)

Cheese bread

• Minas and Canastra cheeses

Slice of buffalo fresh cheese made in Serra da Canastra

• Chicken with okra, pardo sauce or ora-pro-nobis
• Beans (feijão) – tutu de feijão and feijão tropeiro
• Homemade sweets

Brazilian dessert Romeo and Juliet of goiabada and Minas cheese

• Alambique cachaça – distilled from the juice of sugar cane and the base ingredient for caipirinhas (Brazil national cocktail drink), cachaça is smooth with a warming afterglow! Minas cachaça is distilled by hand using only natural ingredients and is renowned throughout the country and the world.

Regular gastronomic events take place throughout the year, including:

• Comida de Buteco (bar food) in Belo Horizonte;
• Cheese Festival in Serro;
• International Festival of Culture & Gastronomy in Tiradentes.

The State of Minas Gerais is one of the largest producers of craft beer in the country, known for both its quality and variety affectionately earned the nickname “Belgian Mineira”, in allusion to Belgium, one of the cradles of the production of the craft beer world. Recently, a producer even received two international awards.

Belo Horizonte is famed for being the city with the highest number of bars in Latin America! Sitting and chatting with friends whilst enjoying caipirinha accompanied by appetisers is a must for any tourism itinerary.

Bar with caipirinhas and snacks in Belo Horizonte, Brazil