Giancarlo’s Ceviche
Rio de Janeiro
Grande’s Barbecue
Grande’s BarbecueRio de Janeiro Ricardo, “O Grande” (The Great): with a name worthy of a king, this carioca (person from Rio de Janeiro) displays all his nobility from Flamengo to Lapa, where he is the most sought-after barbecue master in the area. The same ease with which he makes friends on the street is the…
Louise’s Cornshaft
Louise’s CornshaftRio de Janeiro Colorful fabrics, colorful clothes, colorful food – everything is joyful at Louise’s stall in the gastronomic fair of immigrants and refugees where she serves her Cornshaft, a typical stew from Cameroon. Having been in Brazil for six years, she came here in search of a better life after being rejected by…
Lateefat’s Jollof
Lateefat’s JollofRio de Janeiro While Nigeria suffers at the hands of Boko Haram, an Islamic organization that has been terrorizing the country for ten years, Nigerian culture thrives in Brazil through the hands of the friendly Lateefat, who has been living in Rio since 2015. Lateefat, a refugee from the civil war, cooks and sells…
Baiana’s Cassava Balls
Baiana’s Cassava BallsRio de Janeiro For over 40 years, every sunny day, Dona Maria Helena walks along the stretch of Ipanema Beach between posts 8 and 9, carrying her basket of snacks. She sells empadas, pastries, and sandwiches, but it was her cassava balls filled with jerked beef, codfish, and ground meat that gained fame.…
Haitians’ Kremas
Haitians' KremasRio de Janeiro “People think Haiti is only about war and earthquakes,” says Bob, a Haitian who has been living in Brazil for two decades. Although it was an earthquake (the most severe in the history of the island, in 2010, with around 300,000 deaths) that brought him and his family to Rio after…
Rossela’s Panzerotti
Rossela’s PanzerottiRio de Janeiro Rossela never imagined she would be happy selling food on the street when she embarked on this “adventure,” as she calls it. “When I had the idea of making a panzerotti cart, I thought of having someone else make them for me. But then I realized that I enjoy being on…
Nelly’s Papas Rellenas
Nelly’s Papas RellenasRio de Janeiro One day, when Nelly was still a child, she thought about joining the now-defunct paramilitary army of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Little did she imagine that in the future, she would emigrate from her country, escaping the violent daily life imposed by the FARC themselves. Today, seven…
Vanessa’s Açaí
Vanessa's AçaíRio de Janeiro Vanessa has one of the most powerful voices on Ipanema Beach, and when she shouts announcing her açaí, singing her own funk parodies, it’s impossible not to hear her even from a distance. Wherever she goes, shouting at the top of her lungs and dancing with contagious energy, she is applauded:…
Marechal’s French Fries
Marechal's French FriesRio de Janeiro A French fry that has become a true heritage of the Rio de Janeiro suburbs. It was in Marechal Hermes, the first working-class neighborhood in Brazil—designed and inaugurated in the early 19th century by the president of the same name—that Ademar set up his stall more than 30 years ago.…
