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 bandeirantes period, to the indigenous roots, to 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 in the expeditions of the bandeirantes 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, bean tutu, steak, fried egg, pork rinds and fried plantains, is there?
São Paulo couscous
According to São Paulo State Tourism Office when the Portuguese brought the delicacy to Brazil, it had to be adapted. This is where corn comes in as the base for Brazilian couscous.
But the story doesn’t end there. After all, it is said that it was the tropeiros who created the São Paulo version, as they left the corn flour and salted meats all mixed together during transportation. This is how, little by little, São Paulo couscous gained new ingredients until it reached the recipe we know today.
Bauru
The original Bauru, invented in the famous Largo do Paiçandu bakery Ponto Chic is the most famous version of the sandwich. Thin slices of roast beef, pickled cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and steep melted and placed inside French bread without crumb.
Anyone who has tried it knows what this explosion of flavor is all about. According to the snack bar itself, it was created by a former customer from Bauru, hence the name.
Mortadella sandwich from Mercadão
It may look like tourist food, but it’s not for nothing. The sandwich, which is a symbol of São Paulo’s Municipal Market, has 200 grams of sliced mortadella and has been around since the space opened. Today, almost all the boxes offer the dish 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 for lunch is an old tradition in the city. In the past, it was our grandmothers who ate it 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 darling of birthday parties, “lunch” in a hurry, afternoon snacks or just for the heck of it. 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 day, night or dawn, the Estadão snack bar – which takes its name from being next to the newspaper’s old building – is always open and full.
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 the typical foods of São Paulo and not mention our pizza. After all, our dough and filling have conquered the world’s palates, and são Paulo’s pizzerias are 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 out of habit or laziness to cook something, at least one of the days calls for a pizza ( Calabrian with onions or Portuguese, preferably) for the family.
Beirut
There is a legend in São Paulo that Beirut was created by the Syrian brothers Jorge and Fauze Farah. The dish was named after a Lebanese customer who always ordered this sandwich.
Whatever the filling, Arab bread does the honors. Most restaurants and eateries offer the dish in two sizes, as the original is really big!
