Plant-Based in Brazil: Speaking the Language of Vegetarian & Vegan Dining
Dining Without Meat, Brazilian-Style Eating vegetarian or vegan in Brazil isn’t as tricky as some might expect, but it does require more than just saying “não como carne”. Street stands, casual cafés, and even upscale restaurants often sneak animal products into dishes without labeling them—think beans cooked with pork fat, or vegetable soups enriched with […]
Bites on the Corner: Speaking Portuguese at Brazil’s Street Food Stalls
The Everyday Ritual of Street Eating Grabbing something from a street stall in Brazil isn’t a rare indulgence—it’s a regular rhythm in my week. Whether I’m passing through a feira livre in Rio, catching the smell of grilled meat drifting from a cart in São Paulo, or finding a pastel stand on a Sunday morning […]
Swirl, Slice, and Speak: Mastering Wine & Cheese in Brazilian Portuguese
My First Tasting in Brazil My first wine and cheese night in Brazil happened by accident. I was in São Paulo, invited by a friend to what I thought was just a small get-together. I showed up with a bottle of Chilean red, only to find the table already set with regional cheeses I’d never […]
From Invite to Dessert: Hosting a Brazilian Dinner Party with Style
My First Brazilian Dinner Party Attempt The first time I hosted a dinner in Brazil, I thought my Dominican-Spanish hospitality skills would carry me. I sent out casual texts, cooked a big pot of feijão tropeiro, and expected people to arrive around the time I’d suggested. Instead, guests trickled in an hour late, arms full […]
Saturday Streets and Sweet Deals: Mastering Market Day in Brazil
My First Bargain in Portuguese The first time I tried bargaining in Brazil was at a Saturday street market in Belo Horizonte. I spotted a stand stacked with ripe mangoes, their scent heavy in the air. In Dominican Spanish, I was used to tossing out a playful “y si me lo dejas en tanto?” and […]
Speaking Up for Safety: Navigating Food Allergies in Brazilian Restaurants
When I Almost Ordered Trouble My first week living in Rio, I sat down at a bustling boteco and ordered a plate of bolinhos without asking what was inside. In the Dominican Republic, I was used to a short list of usual suspects—plantains, chicken, rice—and I rarely had to worry about hidden ingredients. Here, my […]
From Moqueca to Mocotó: Unlocking Brazilian Menus with Confidence
The Night I Ordered a Mystery Stew My first week in Salvador, I sat in a beachfront restaurant staring at a menu that read like a poem I didn’t understand. Words like moqueca, pirão, and sururu danced between prices, and my Dominican-Spanish brain was sure I could guess their meaning. I ordered dobradinha thinking it […]
Pet-Owner Portuguese: Vets, Dog Parks, and Adoption
My First Vet Visit in Brazil When I first took my rescue mutt, Luna, to a vet in Rio, I thought my Dominican-Spanish skills would carry me through. I walked in, greeted the receptionist with confidence, and explained in Spanish that Luna needed her vaccines. She smiled politely and replied in Brazilian Portuguese so fast […]
The Art of Compliments in Portuguese—Without Being Awkward
A Sidewalk Lesson in Saying Something Nice My first attempt at a compliment in Brazil was on a busy sidewalk in São Paulo. I wanted to say something nice about a man’s dog, but what came out—“Seu cachorro é muito gostoso”—earned me a startled laugh and a polite correction. In Dominican Spanish, praising a pet […]
Festival Portuguese: Surviving Carnaval, São João, and Everything In Between
The First Lesson: Water, Pix, and Glitter I learned my first real festival lesson in Rio by failing to buy a bottle of water. A drummer tested a repique, a vendor yelled “água bem gelada,” and I heard “Pix tem?” while my cash sat useless in my pocket. It was simple, unglamorous, and perfect. The […]