You will be surprised by the list of Italian foods that were (re)invented, or adapted, in Brazil.
All-you-can-eat pizza, rondele au gratin or Italian straw is only available in Brazil. Ok. But isn't Calabrian sausage Italian?
So it is. The need to adapt some recipes, whether due to the lack of some ingredient or several, forced the Italian community itself to reinvent some Italian foods.
These are Italian recipes that are only found in Brazil. Check it out below.
13 Italian foods that were invented in Brazil
1. Calabrian sausage
In the Calabria region, there in Bota, there are actually several specialties of pork sausages, very tasty sausages, but this little portion that goes well with beer you can only find in Brazil.
The sausage that most resembles pepperoni is called sausage cacciatora and is a typical sausage from the central region of Italy. Calabria is in the South.
2. Italian straw, despite the name
Who would have thought that a sweet made with brigadeiro and biscuits is actually a very Brazilian sweet.
8 Italian straw recipes: the 100% Brazilian sweet
3. The fogazza: a cross between the calzone and the pastry
At the feast of Nossa Senhora da Acheropita, in São Paulo, people queue for miles to taste this delicacy that, in Italy, is an illustrious unknown.
In Italy, what is a bit similar to fogazza is panzerotto, also known as panzarotto, and panzerotti, in the plural. A type of salty, fried dough that resembles a small calzone, both in shape and in the type of dough used to prepare it.
4. Rondelli, in sauce or gratin
This pasta shape is much more popular in Brazil than in Italy, where it is called folder roller.
5. Galeto and the whole concept of galeteria
Rodízios of roast chicken, with fried polenta and other accompaniments, are a tradition of Italian immigrants in Rio Grande do Sul, but you won't find them in Italy.
Let's face it, pizza is already a heritage of humanity and every people can unleash their creativity with it.
6. Sardela, the sauce served as a starter in cantinas in São Paulo
Sardela, prepared by Italian immigrants who arrived in the city of São Paulo, is an adaptation of this old, traditional Italian recipe.
The original is prepared with a fingerling, a baby fish, also called sardela, with sweet and spicy paprika, olive oil and a little fennel seed.
7. Fortaia, scrambled egg dish with cheese
Every gaucho who grew up in Serra knows this hearty dish. But, in Italy, if you order a fortaia you will be served a type of crepe with a sweet or savory filling.
8. Steak Parmigiana, with rice and French fries
In Italy it is more common to find eggplant parmigiana, served without any accompaniments.
The Italian dish that most resembles Brazilian parmigiana is beef alla pizzaiola, a steak served with tomato sauce, but without mozzarella gratin on top.
9. Radite (or chicory) salad with bacon
Another traditional immigrant dish is radite salad (chicory), which even managed to leave a highly greasy salad. But those who like it swear that it's worth every calorie.
10. Fettuccine Alfredo
This cheese and butter sauce is actually a New York recipe, but it's easy to find throughout Brazil. In this case, it exists, a lot, in other countries, but precisely in Italy it is not so common.
11. Pizza or pasta wheels
No one needs to travel to Italy to lie down and roll around in these carbohydrate orgies, as they are a Brazilian invention!
Although there are already restaurants in some cities with “menu round pizza“, Italians are individualists when it comes to pizza: they prefer it individually and with just one flavor.
The same goes for folders.
123. Chicken with polenta
Is there anything more typical Italian in Brazil than chicken with polenta? The combination is actually a very Brazilian invention.
In Veneto there is polenta with game birds, but there are no versions with chicken, even less fried.
Chicken risotto is also a typically Brazilian specialty. Italians make risotto with practically anything, except… chicken.
13. Bolognese pasta
Nothing better than pasta bolognese, but did you know that the recipe made in Brazil Isn't it the original?
The sauce is actually called ragu and is served with noodles. The recipe was adapted in Brazil.
Os Emilians say the term “Bolognese” is the most usurped term in Italian cuisine. There's even a proposal to teach the world's cooks what the real sauce that everyone swears they know how to make is like.
Among the 13 Italian foods that were invented in Brazil, which one do you like the most? Write in the comments.
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