A city as culturally rich as São Paulo could only have a gastronomy full of influences. That’s why it’s easy to understand how so many of the dishes here take us back to the period of the bandeirantes, the indigenous roots, the Italian immigrants, among many others. The typical foods of São Paulo are the result of those who decided to call the city home.
Get to know some of São Paulo’s typical foods
Virado à paulista
On Mondays, rain or shine, the famous Virado à Paulista is served in the city’s PFs. A dish that originated during the bandeirantes’ expeditions and is still part of São Paulo’s culture today, being the best known of São Paulo’s typical dishes.
And there’s nothing better than starting the week with rice, tutu de feijão, bisteca, fried egg, torresmo and fried plantain, is there?
São Paulo couscous
According to the São Paulo State Tourism Office, when the Portuguese brought the delicacy to Brazil, it had to be adapted. This is where corn came in as the base for Brazilian couscous.
But the story doesn’t end there. After all, it is said that it was the muleteers who created the São Paulo version, as they left the corn flour and salted meats all mixed together during transportation. That’s how, little by little, São Paulo couscous gained new ingredients until it reached the recipe we know today.
Bauru
The original Bauru, invented at the famous Largo do Paiçandu Ponto Chic bakery, is the most famous version of the sandwich. Thin slices of roast beef, pickled cucumber, tomato, melted Swiss cheese and steep cheese are placed inside crustless French bread.
Anyone who has tried it knows what this explosion of flavor is all about. According to the restaurant itself, it was created by a former customer from Bauru, hence the name.
Mercadão’s mortadella sandwich
It may look like tourist food, but it’s not for nothing. The sandwich, which is the symbol of São Paulo’s Municipal Market, has more than 200 grams of sliced mortadella and has been around since the market opened. Today, almost all the stalls offer the typical food of São Paulo and innovate with the side dishes. Despite the queues at weekends, it’s worth a try.
Pastel de feira
Taking a day out of the week to eat pastel is an old tradition in the city. In the past, it was our grandmothers who ate them at the end of the week’s market. Today, workers take their lunch break to eat the famous pastéis, which are no longer just cheese, pizza and meat, but an infinite number of combinations.
Coxinha with catupiry
The classic favorite at birthday parties, “lunch” in a hurry, afternoon snacks or just for gluttony’s sake. The coxinha with catupiry filling is almost a city heritage and can be found in the most varied establishments. From the famous FrangÓ, in Freguesia do Ó, to any bakery or bar in the city center.
Estadão ham sandwich
Whether it’s during the day, at night or in the early hours of the morning, the Estadão snack bar – which takes its name from its location next to the newspaper’s old building – is always open and packed.
Going to the city center and not trying the famous ham sandwich is like not going to the city center at all. It’s worth a visit, especially after enjoying the parties in Rua Augusta and the surrounding area.
Pizza
It’s impossible to talk about traditional São Paulo food without mentioning our pizza. After all, our dough and filling have conquered the world’s palates, and São Paulo pizzerias have earned the rank of the best in the world. What’s more, a real paulistano’s weekend always starts with pizza on Friday night or ends with pizza on Sunday. Whether it’s habit or laziness to cook something, at least one of the days calls for a pizza ( Calabrian with onion or Portuguese, preferably) for the family.
Beirut
There is a legend in São Paulo that Beirut was created by Syrian brothers Jorge and Fauze Farah. The dish was named after a Lebanese customer who always ordered this sandwich.
Whatever the filling, the Arabic bread does the honors. Most restaurants and eateries offer the dish in two sizes, as the original is really big!
