Brazilian cooking history is in every bite of the country's food. Native Indians developed corn porridge, cassava meal, sweet potatoes, many roots, hearts of palm, many species of game and fish, and the preservation of meats by smoking and drying. In 1533, the Portuguese colonized Brazil. After a lengthy Moorish occupation, Portugal had adopted a variety of North African cooking traditions, among them coffee, dried fruits and pastries. These culinary customs were in turn exported to Brazil, with the twist of being prepared using local ingredients.
The largest single influence on Brazilian cuisine came with the many African slaves who were brought to the country and with them, the staples of West African cooking, became firmly established in Brazil. When the slave trade ended, the giant open spaces and promises of wealth in Brazil attracted settlers from all over the world, and the country and its Cuisine became a real melting pot of influences. Arrivals from Asia, Western and Eastern Europe and the Middle East brought their own kitchen traditions with them and put a truly eclectic spin on Brazilian cuisine. Making meals varied and exciting, as well as delicious.
