The 2014 World Cup

Welcome to the Gourmandize World Cup recipe countdown!

We all know Pele and Ronaldhino, but do you know cachaca and cassava? Brazilian cuisine remains elusive to most of us, so we asked our Brazilian parners Receitas sem Fronteiras to help us cook our way through the World Cup! To get you in the mood for the games, we'll post one Brazilian recipe each day until the kickoff. 

But first, here are some of the essential ingredients of Brazilian cuisine!

Cassava

Brazil is the world's largest consumer of the cassava root. Also known as manioc or tapioca root, it's a gluten-free vegetable that's easy to digest and easy to cook. In fact, it's a great side dish to the Brazilian national dish, feijoada! You can bake it into a cake, fry it to make cassava chips, or use it in any dish as a substitute to potatoes. 

 Lime Juice

Lime juice is full of vitamin C and therefore great to boost your immune system! Use lime juice to add some zest to any meal. Try sprinkling it on grilled fish, pulled pork or roast chicken. It's an essential ingredient of Brazilian cuisine, especially since combined with cachaca, it makes the world famous Caipirinha cocktail! 

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is an extremely versatile ingredient, and one that is featured in the Brazilian Moqueca de Peixe, a traditional dish from Bahia that's similar to a fish or shrimp stew. You can use coconut milk as a susbtitute for cream in your cooking or as a base for any sauce, and you can even use it in desserts for an added exotic touch.  

Brazilian Recipe Countdown! 

More steaming articles

Christmas Countdown - 9 Days to go! Staff Picks Weeknight Dinner Contest