Pernambuco has a multicultural gastronomy with African and indigenous influences, among others. The national dish Feijoada (a stew of beans, pork and beef, served with rice and Farofa) is not very popular in Recife.
On the other hand some ingredients which are widely used in Recife are hardly found in the South of Brazil, as manioc flour (which is the main ingredient of tapioca), cuscuz (corn flour). pumpkin, jerked beef, goat or lamb. Seafood is exotic and delicious. The regional food has some peculiarities like Carne de Sol and buchada, a dish prepared with the stomach of billy goat.
Recife is the birthplace of two traditional and delicious cakes Bolo de Rolo and Bolo Sousa Leão.
Do try the snacks on offer from beach vendors---little chicken and beef kebabs, oysters, prawns, and grilled cheese. Just be aware that some of the vendors may have been carrying them around for hours--if it doesn't look fresh, it probably isn't.
A must try is Caldinho: a soup served all over the place (restaurants, dedicated carts and people with flasks selling it on the beach). Comes in a variety of flavors from black bean to shrimp. The person selling it will say "completa" when you order it. This simply means "complete", and if you say yes at this point you get a few added extras, such as a small boiled egg put into the cup of hot soup.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Recife
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Recife - updated May 2024
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Recife Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
