One thing that has surprised me about my time outside of the U.S. is the sudden, urgent desire to eat certain foods. These foods are, usually, things that I know to be nearly impossible to find in Brazil or so out-of-the-way and expensive that it's only worth getting once. I can't help it, though. I get obsessed and check every webpage, ask every neighbor and read every restaurant review I can find just to get that certain "fix". Anyone who knows me, understands my love affair with food. I like to think that I'm a pretty healthy eater. However, my cravings here have channeled the junkiest of American-style junk food. I'm not sure what this says about me, my body or my mental state but, it's been interesting to discover what things are truly "international" and what just doesn't translate across cultures.
Some easy-to-find comfort foods:
KFC- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fried chicken. Luckily, KFC has taken hold in Rio and doesn't appear to be letting go anytime soon. And with all the fatty sides I want!
McDonalds- The most international of national fast food chains, this place is almost as easy to find in Rio as it is at home. Hamburgers and fries are so, so common.
Ice cream- Brazilians have an insane sweet tooth. You can find tons of places with a plethora of flavors that still haven't been dreamt of in the U.S.-- sweet corn flavor in a waffle cone, anyone? It's super tasty.
Some you-will-spend-your-life-searching-for-the-real-thing-in-Rio comfort foods:
Mexican food- Ironic, yes I know. Brazilians simply don't get the beauty of tortilla chips, fresh salsa picante, guacamole and sour cream. Forget about Chipotle-style burritos and quesadillas on the cheap. There are Mexican food places but the salsa is more like ketchup and not spicy, the guacamole is runny and the sour cream is more toward heavy cream. All in all, very unsatisfying and supremely disappointing.
Doughnuts- This has been my latest quest. For some reason, I have been absolutely dying for a Krispy Kreme-style glazed doughnut. I was shocked to discover that Brazilians-- the lovers of all things sweet-- are not even aware of the fatty goodness of a good doughnut! After a great deal of research, I found one place, ONE, in the whole city that had them. A kiosk in the malls in Tijuca and Barra called Cafe Donuts. While I failed in my search for a simple, glazed doughnut, I did manage to have a passable Boston Creme. It was enough to hold me over until my next U.S. visit.
Bagels- Again, for a nation that adores bread in almost all shapes, sizes and flavors-- no bagels? Really? Out of all the hundreds of cafes in the city, not one sells bagels-- and forget about cream cheese. Lox? You're dreaming. I recently found a blog that gave me hope; Daily Life In Rio mentions the existence of one place that claims to have bagels. I'll have to check it out and judge for myself. Often, places here say that they "have" something but, when it arrives, it's far from the real thing.
While Brazilian food is undeniably yummy, sometimes you just want a little taste of home, you know? I'm off to get a bucket of Original Recipe and a gallon of Neopolitan! Woo hoo!
Until next time...
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