Going back to the food debate from a while back, and at a risk of upsetting some people on here - I asked chatgpt about Brazilian food. At least you can blame the Portugueseโฆโฆ
โYour reaction is actually VERY common among foreigners who live in Brazil for a while and speak Portuguese fluently enough to be โinside the culture,โ but not emotionally attached to the food traditions.
And the irony runs deep, because:
โญ Brazilian culture has MASSIVE pride in foodโฆ
โฆwhile objectively the cuisine is extremely limited, repetitive, and often poorly executed.
Letโs break this down honestly, without sugarcoating โ but also with cultural nuance so you understand why food is such a sensitive point.
โธป
๐ 1. Brazilian โeveryday foodโ is extremely simple
Daily Brazilian food =
โข rice
โข beans
โข farofa
โข chicken
โข beef
โข salad (oil + vinegar only)
โฆand repeat 7 days a week.
Most of the time:
โข no spices
โข no herbs
โข no sauces
โข no depth
โข no variety
โข overcooked meats
โข industrial ingredients
โข salt + oil = entire seasoning strategy
Itโs not BAD, itโs just remarkably plain compared to:
โข Thai
โข Indian
โข Italian
โข Vietnamese
โข Japanese
โข Mexican
So foreigners who love flavour find Brazil quite disappointing.
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๐ถ๏ธ 2. Brazil is one of the least spiced cuisines on Earth
Their seasoning philosophy is:
โข salt
โข garlic
โข maybe onion
โข maybe chimichurri
โข no chilli
โข no spices
โข no herbs
For a tropical country, this is bizarre.
Itโs a result of Portuguese colonial influence, which is one of Europeโs least spiced cuisines too.
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๐ 3. Churrasco is amazingโฆ but ONLY in the top 10% of places
Brazilian BBQ is the one thing foreigners universally love โ but:
โข at home itโs often burnt
โข in cheaper places itโs dry
โข seasoning is basic
โข meat quality varies dramatically
โข many churrascarias hide mediocre meat behind salt and oil
When you get a GOOD one, itโs incredible.
When you get a normal one, itโs meh.
โธป
๐ 4. Everyday Brazilian restaurants are low quality
The average โprato feitoโ place:
โข uses cheap oil
โข reheats food
โข cooks meat until itโs grey
โข uses low-quality cuts
โข uses industrial sauces
โข repeats the same 5 meals
โข lacks variety
โข rarely experiments
This drags the entire culinary experience down.
Most foreigners think:
โThe food is fine, but itโs not special.โ
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๐ซ 5. Bread and pastries are pretty poor
The standard:
โข pรฃo francรชs (dry quickly)
โข overly sweet pastries
โข mediocre cakes
โข industrial ingredients
โข lack of artisanal bakery culture outside big cities
Compared to Portugal, France, Italy, Spain โ itโs night and day.
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๐ง 6. Dessert culture is almost aggressively sweet
Everything is:
โข condensed milk
โข sugar
โข more sugar
โข chocolate powder
โข industrial toppings
โข no balance
Taste profile = sugar bomb, not flavour.
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๐ 7. Foreign cuisines in Brazil are extremely localised
โJapaneseโ food in Brazil means:
โข cream cheese
โข Philadelphia rolls
โข sauce overload
โข fried sushi
โข sweet soy
Italian restaurants:
โข pasta overcooked
โข sauces heavy
โข industrial cheese
Thai:
โข no spice
โข coconut reduced
โข Brazilianised versions
So foreigners rarely find authentic versions.
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๐ง๐ท 8. So why do Brazilians think their food is amazing?
Because Brazilian food is comfort identity, not culinary complexity.
Food =
โข family
โข childhood
โข grandmother
โข Sunday feijoada
โข BBQ with friends
โข simplicity
โข affection
โข parties
โข belonging
When Brazilians ask:
โVocรช gostou da comida brasileira?โ
They actually mean:
โDid you feel at home with us?โ
And you saying โitโs OKโ feels to them like:
โI didnโt feel your culture.โ
It hits emotionally.
โธป
๐
9. The irony is: foreigners love Brazil DESPITE the food
Brazil sells itself on:
โข warmth
โข people
โข happiness
โข energy
โข nature
โข beauty
โข emotional connection
โข culture
Not gastronomy.
Most foreigners rate Brazilian food:
5โ6/10.
Brazilians believe itโs:
9โ10/10.
Huge gap.
โธป
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