Brazil has established itself as a gastronomic destination not to be missed by tourists: two metropolises in the country – São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – entered the ranking of the 50 cities that offer the best typical food in the world, released this Monday (8) by the gastronomic encyclopedia TasteAtlas.
The quality of the dishes stood out and went ahead of cities known for their cuisines, such as Italy’s Palermo and Spain’s Seville and Cordoba, in the case of Rio, which ranked 32nd overall with a score of 4.48 (out of 5 possible points).
São Paulo, in 13th place with an average of 4.58, dethroned Italy’s Bologna – which was once considered the city with the best food in the world – as well as Buenos Aires, Argentina; Vienna, Austria, and Chicago.
The latter is a destination most famous for its “deep-dish” pizza.
Check out the publication’s top 50:
No, these are not the cities with the most Michelin stars, nor the cities with the most famous chefs. These are not the dishes or restaurants that will get you the most likes on Instagram.
100 Best Cities to Try Local Food: https://t.co/ZwBvxRzUqq#localfood pic.twitter.com/bw3BNquGiK
— TasteAtlas (@TasteAtlas) May 8, 2023
SÃO PAULO’S TRIUMPH
“São Paulo is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city known for its dynamic art scene and diverse cultural influences.”
“This crossroads of cultures is reflected in the city’s gastronomy, with traditional food characterized by its rich flavors and abundant use of meats,” justified TasteAtlas.
The publication also highlighted some delicacies and establishments that guarantee São Paulo’s good performance in the ranking.
For starters, visiting the Mercado Municipal (also known as Mercadão) was considered a must to taste “the best bologna sandwiches in town.”
THE FIGUEIRA RUBAIYAT
Among the restaurants mentioned as iconic places to eat in São Paulo, besides Mocotó, the restaurant run by Chef Rodrigo Oliveira, the new judge of MasterChef, Tempero das Gerais, Figueira Rubaiyat, Fogo de Chão steakhouse, and Bar Estadão were recommended.
THE WONDERFUL CITY IS ALSO FOR EATING
Rio was applauded for offering “a dynamic fusion of Brazilian flavors, seaside kiosks, and high-standard restaurants”.
Traditional carioca food was further characterized as a combination of “diverse influences, fresh ingredients, and an emphasis on seafood,” according to the encyclopedia.
Among the recommended delicacies were “feijoada de boteco” – “a hearty dish” – [a Brazilian or Portuguese stew of black beans with pork or other meat and vegetables, served with rice], barbecues, Leão Veloso soup, codfish cakes, and açaí in a bowl.
The publication also considered a unique feature of Rio the variety of juice and vitamin bars and stores, where you can try refreshing mix shakes.
CONFEITARIA COLOMBO
The restaurants highlighted were Churrascaria Palace, Bar do Mineiro, Marius Degustare restaurant, Mocellin Churrascaria, and the very traditional Confeitaria Colombo (Confectionery), founded in 1894.
OTHER OUTSTANDING CITIES AROUND THE WORLD
FLORENCE, ITALY
The outright winner was Florence, Italy, which took 4.71 for its “intimate family trattorias” and a cuisine “characterized by simplicity and focus on high-quality local ingredients.
Three dishes stood out: the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a beef steak cooked straight in the fire and seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Also, the Lampredotto sandwich, a traditional street food made with the fourth stomach of the cow, was considered emblematic in the city.
Finally, TasteAtlas recommended not missing the chance to try Trippa alla Fiorentina – a slow-cooked tripe dish in tomato sauce.
Three other Italian cities still appeared in the top 10: Rome, Naples, and Milan.
In the top 100, published only on the TasteAtlas site, two more Brazilian cities were in the top 100: Recife in 67th place with a score of 4.40, and Belo Horizonte in 78th place with a score of 4.38.
WHERE DID THE RANKING SCORES COME FROM?
To compile the list, the average scores of each city’s best typical and regional dishes were considered, added to the average score of the national dishes served in that city, and the average score of the best traditional restaurants in Google Review.
Thus, the TastleAtlas researchers arrived at a final average – which indicates the quality of the typical dishes of each location.
The team also explains that its methodology considers the evaluation of the international gastronomic public through filtered votes on its site, eliminating, according to Atlas, guesses potentially linked to bots or “nationalists”.
With information from UOL
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