São Paulo cuisine

A historic and iconic dish: rice, beans, collard greens, fried banana, pork chops, sausage, and a fried egg, often served with tutu (mashed beans with manioc flour). A colonial-era feast still beloved today. ¹⁾

A towering sandwich packed with sliced mortadella, sometimes with cheese or mustard, served on a crusty French roll — famously served at the Mercadão Municipal. ²⁾

Not to be confused with the northeastern version! This is a savory, molded cornmeal dish with eggs, sardines, shrimp, olives, and vegetables — served cold, often at family gatherings. ³⁾

Mashed beans with manioc flour, garlic, and lard, topped with crispy pork cracklings — hearty and deeply rooted in rural traditions. ⁴⁾

“Fat beans”: pinto beans slow-cooked with various pork cuts, sausages, bacon, and sometimes kale. Rich, smoky, and satisfying. ⁵⁾

Rustic stewed chicken with okra, tomatoes, garlic, and annatto — a countryside staple brought by Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous cooks. ⁶⁾

An original São Paulo sandwich made with roast beef, tomato, mozzarella, and pickles, served on crustless French bread — created at the Ponto Chic restaurant in the 1930s. ⁷⁾

A robust tripe and white bean stew, seasoned with tomatoes, onions, and chili pepper — often served with white rice and parsley. ⁸⁾

São Paulo is pizza central in Brazil. What’s unique? The thin crust, wood-fired style, and creative toppings like catupiry cheese, hearts of palm, or even stroganoff. ⁹⁾

A countryside snack of fried banana mashed and mixed with manioc flour, sugar, and cinnamon — sweet, hearty, and beloved in small towns. ¹⁰⁾

Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice (caldo de cana) served with roasted peanuts — a classic pairing sold at street markets and roadsides. ¹¹⁾

Soft or fried Italian-style polenta topped with rustic chicken or pork ragu — a rural-Italian fusion that became a staple in São Paulo’s interior. ¹²⁾

Thanks to Lebanese and Syrian immigration, open-faced savory pastries (esfihas) with ground meat, cheese, or spinach became wildly popular — with São Paulo's own crust style and spice blend. ¹³⁾

Sunday pasta with tomato sauce and beef roast, pork ribs, or sausage simmered in the sauce for hours — a tradition in Italian-Brazilian families from Mooca to Brás. ¹⁴⁾

Fried rice balls made from leftover rice, often filled with cheese or sausage and served in botecos (neighborhood bars). Crispy, gooey, and full of comfort. ¹⁵⁾