The food of Ceara mixes the bounty of the Atlantic with the traditions of the sertao, the dry interior, and the result is some of the most distinctive cooking in Brazil. In Fortaleza you can eat grilled fish on the sand, a tapioca crepe on the promenade and slow-cooked meats at a family restaurant, often in the same day. Here is what to look for.
Seafood
The coast provides fish, shrimp, crab and lobster, and the barracas of Praia do Futuro are the classic places to eat them. Crab is often served whole, cracked at the table, or as a stew; shrimp may arrive fried, grilled or in garlic; and whole fish is grilled and served with rice, farofa and salad. In the evening, restaurants in Meireles and Praia de Iracema offer more refined versions. Ask about the catch of the day, and be cautious with lobster prices, which are often by weight.
Tapioca
Tapioca crepes are a staple of northeast Brazil. Made from cassava starch cooked on a hot griddle, they are folded around fillings such as coconut and condensed milk, cheese, sun-dried meat, chicken, shrimp or banana. You will find them at street stalls, cafes and dedicated tapioca restaurants, and they are a perfect light breakfast or snack.
Carne de sol and baiao de dois
Carne de sol is sun-dried salted beef, a sertao classic, served with fried manioc, rice and beans or pumpkin. Baiao de dois is a comforting dish of rice and beans mixed with cheese, sometimes with sausage or dried meat. Together they show the interior influence on the cuisine, and they are best at a restaurant that specialises in regional food.
Cashew, tropical fruit and juices
Ceara is one of Brazil's cashew regions, so you will find cashew nuts on every market stall and cashew fruit juice and sweets on many menus. Fresh juices are a daily habit: try cajá, graviola, acerola, cupuaçu, passion fruit or mango, ask for them without ice if you are cautious, and add sugar to taste. Coconut water is sold on every beach.
Drinks
The caipirinha, made with cachaca, lime and sugar, is the national cocktail, and Ceara has its own cachaca traditions. Beer is served very cold, often in small bottles with an insulating sleeve. Mate and guarana are popular soft drinks, and many bars make creative caipirinhas with local fruits. If you drink alcohol, pace yourself in the sun.
Sweets and snacks
Look for rapadura, a hard block of raw cane sugar, doce de leite, cocada coconut sweets, pe de moleque peanut brittle and cashew candy. Pastel, a fried pastry with fillings, and coxinha, a fried chicken croquette, are common snacks.
Where to eat
For a local experience, spend an afternoon at a Praia do Futuro barraca. For a lively evening, choose the restaurants around Praia de Iracema and the Dragao do Mar. For a calmer meal, Meireles has many restaurants, from casual to upscale. At the Mercado Central, you can have coffee, juice and snacks while shopping. Reservations are wise on weekend evenings.
Eating on a budget
Look for prato feito, the plate of the day, a filling lunch of rice, beans, meat and salad at a low price. Per-kilo restaurants, where you serve yourself and pay by weight, are good value. Tapioca and street snacks keep costs down, and fresh juice is affordable.
Etiquette and tips
Service is usually included as a ten percent charge, which is optional but customary to pay. Meals are often shared, and portions can be generous, so ask whether a dish serves two. Lunch is the main meal in many places, and dinner is often late. If you have allergies, learn the Portuguese words for your allergens or carry a card.
Food on tours
Day trips usually include a lunch stop at a beach restaurant, and you should expect fish, shrimp or crab with side dishes. Ask about the menu in advance if you have dietary needs, and carry snacks for long drives.
Breakfast
Hotels serve generous buffets with tropical fruit, bread, cheese, ham, cakes and coffee, but a local breakfast of tapioca, cuscuz with egg and coffee at a cafe is worth trying. Cuscuz here is a steamed cornmeal cake, quite different from the North African dish.
Vegetarian and special diets
Vegetarians can find salads, fruit, tapioca with cheese or coconut, rice, beans and vegetable sides at most places, though meat is central to the cuisine. Ask whether beans contain meat, and carry a note in Portuguese describing your needs.
