São Paulo... Street Food...

São Paulo, Brazil... Street Food

When you walk around São Paulo, the city where I was born in Brazil, 

it is very easy to get distracted by the amount of sky scrapers and the traffic jams.

I prefer to get distracted by all the food from the corner bars or street vendors.

Unfortunately, they are only common nowadays in the commercial areas, rarely found on residential areas, which is a shame...I guess it is a sign of the times...

I thought it would be a good idea to show to you some of the most popular foods 

you come across whilst walking around. 

After all São Paulo is known for being the place where you can get any food 
you wish at anytime of the day or night.

As I went from A to B, I clicked and sampled the savoury foods that manage to make me homesick whilst I travel...

Coxinha

 my favourite...

I can eat up to three or four of those in one sitting. Yes I am greedy, it is a known fact.

This time, I found a place tat sells about 300 of them a day, and I was lucky enough to walk in just when a fresh batch had been  sent from the kitchen to the counter...It was perfect...

It is usually made with shredded chicken breast, onions,  flat leaf parsley, salt and black pepper. The filling is usually light and delicious engulfed by mashed potates coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. You will find this in every corner and it is something like an obcession with the locals. Usually you have an option with or without catupiry {cheese}. I can be very inovative in many many ways, but in this case I am a purist, so I always opt for the non cheesy one.

Pastel

Usually you can see a japanese person involved either on the sales or on the making of this deep fried patty. I guess it is an adaptation of the guiozas, as we have a masssive japanese influence in Sao Paulo, nothing less than the largest japanese population outside Tokyo.

You can find them in any street market. It is almost sacred and I do not know anyone who does not like a good pastel. There are even sponsored competitions yeary to determine 

who makes the best pastel in São Paulo.

A pastel looks like those wallets women take to weddings and are generally not oily and the dough is crispy and thin. The fillings can range from sauteed minced meat with olives and boiled eggs, ham, cheese, green vegetables, italian sausage, palm hearts, sshredded chicken and they even go into the realms of dessert with delicious flavours 

like banana and cinnamon, chocolate and dolce de leche. 

Esfihas

This comes from the arab and turkish communities that populate Sampa 

{a local nickname for São Paulo}.

Originally made with minced meat and onions, this baked mini pizza like snack is served on its own, but by habit, we always have at the counter tahine dressing, 

lime quarters and chilli sauce. You season your own.

You can also have it the  closed, patty like version of this.

 Some other fillings are also popular, like cheese, zaatar, sauteed greens and walnuts and some even like to add pine nuts and/or sultanas to the vegetarian version.

Kibe

Also found everywhere where you get the snacks above. 

It is a esfiha cousin, also an arab like snack.

Minced beef or lamb {in Brazil we use beef} with bulgur {cracked wheat} and mint and other spices. Served with a quartered lime. So yummy!!!

Pão de Queijo

It is a cheese bread made with tapioca flour. 

It is only worth eating if served piping hot in my humble opinion or it is like stale dough. 

From the State of Minas Gerais. Our country side influence...

Delicious!!!

Chicken Gizzards,

 chicken wings and other stewed meats or sweet breads

are found in the bars of less privileged areas. 

They are served hot either with fluffy garlicky white rice or white sliced bread.

Hot dogs

They speak for themselves, but in São Paulo, the vendors go to lengths of adding mashed potatoes to the bun...Lashings of mustard and tomato and onion salsa. Actually, very nice.

Popcorn Heaven

The vendors are always outside cinemas, schools, tube, rain and stations, gigs and ramdom corners...They have always the option of sweet {toffee} or savoury.
Sometimes they also sell home made crisps as well as popcorn.

Recently, they have taken to frying bacon in the oil and then popping the corn
in that oil. It is simply amazing...