World Country Guide

Social Profile

Food & Drink
Many regional variations are very different from North American and European food. One example is Bahian cookery, derived from days when slaves had to cook scraps and anything that could be caught locally, together with coconut milk and palm oil. Specialities include vatap (shrimps, fish oil, coconut milk, bread and rice), sarapatel (liver, heart, tomatoes, peppers, onion and gravy) and caruru (shrimps, okra, onions and peppers). From Rio Grande do Sul comes churrasco (barbecued beef, tomato and onion sauce), galleto al primo canto (pieces of cockerel cooked on the spit with white wine and oil). From Amazonas comes pato no tucupi (duck in rich wild green herb sauce) and tacac (thick yellow soup with shrimps and garlic). In the northeast, dried salted meat and beans are the staple diet. In Rio de Janeiro, a favourite dish is feijoada (thick stew of black beans, chunks of beef, pork, sausage, chops, pigs’ ears and tails on white rice, boiled green vegetables and orange slices). Types of establishment vary. Table service is usual in most restaurants and cafes and a service charge of 10 per cent is added to most bills. If resident in a hotel, drinks and meals can often be charged to an account.
All kinds of alcoholic drink are manufactured and available and there are no licensing hours or restrictions on drinking. Beer is particularly good and draught beer is called chopp. The local liqueur is cachaa, a type of rum popular with locals, but not so much with visitors. This phenomenally strong spirit is often mixed with sugar, crushed ice and limes to make caipirinha, a refreshing if intoxicating cocktail, and the Brazilian national drink. Southern Brazilian wine is of a high quality. Some bars have waiters and table service. Brazilian coffee is served in espresso-sized cups and is extremely popular.

Nightlife
The best entertainment occurs in Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo. In Rio, the major clubs do not present their main acts until after midnight, and the daily paper gives current information; small clubs (boites) provide nightly entertainment throughout the city. So Paulo nightlife is more sophisticated, with greater choice; the shows tend to start earlier.

Shopping
In Rio and So Paulo, major shops and markets stay open quite late in the evening. Rio and Bahia specialise in antiques and jewellery. Special purchases include gems (particularly emeralds), jewellery (particularly silver), souvenirs and permissible antiques, leather or snakeskin goods. Fashions and antiques, crystal and pottery are a speciality of So Paulo. Belm, the city of the Amazon valley, specialises in jungle items, but be careful that you are not purchasing objects that have been plundered from the jungle, contributing to the general destruction. Check for restrictions on import to your home country of goods made from skins of protected species. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1900. Supermarkets are open Mon-Sat 0800-2200. Major shopping centres also open on Sundays 1500-2200. All the above times are subject to local variations and many shops open until late in the evenings, especially in December.

Special Events
There are a number of lavish festivals throughout the year in Brazil, the two most notable being Bahia’s Carnival just after Christmas (from December to March) and the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (February/March), widely regarded as the most spectacular and extravagant in the world. The following is a selection of special events occurring in Brazil in 2005; further details of other special events may be obtained from the Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) (see Contact Addresses section):
Feb 3-8 Bahia Carnival. Feb 4-8 Carnival, Rio de Janeiro. Feb 5-6 Carnival, So Paulo. Mar 21-25 Holy Week Processions, Ouro Preto. May 21-30 Festa Do Divino Esprito Santo. Jun 27 Rio de Janeiro Pride. Sep 8 Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Remdios. Sep 18-26 International Fishing Festival, Cceres. Oct 24 Formula One: Brazilian Grand Prix. Dec Carnatel (carnival out of season); Natal, Rio do Norte.

Social Conventions
Handshaking is customary on meeting and taking one’s leave, and normal European courtesies are observed. Frequent offers of coffee and tea are customary. Flowers are acceptable as a gift on arrival or following a visit for a meal. A souvenir from the visitor’s home country will be well received as a gift of appreciation. Casual wear is normal, particularly during hot weather. In nightclubs, smart-casual (eg blazer, no tie) is acceptable. For more formal occasions the mode of dress will be indicated on invitations. Smoking is acceptable unless notified otherwise. The Catholic Church is highly respected in the community, something which should be kept in mind by the visitor. Tipping: 10 to 15 per cent is usual for most services not included on the bill. Tipping taxi drivers is not normal practice.