Often consumed with the famous 'carne de sol', this food is part of the traditional meal of the countyside region.
Sugar cane - Cakes
The important agricultural production of sugar cane in the state had an influence in the food by the numerous cakes, puddings, creams and sweets.
Mandioca
The manioc is the plant which supplies one of the largest numbers products on the Brazilians table: farinha, tapiocas, paçoca, etc....
The Tapioca is made from an extremelly fine powder of manioc, pressed and slightly warmed on the hot plate. The local inhabitants(generally more simple people) consume it pure or such as for the tourists in diverse types of dishes, sweet or salty : 'coco ralado', 'queijo coalho', 'queijo coalho', 'carne de sol', etc.... The tapioca is easily found in the small restaurants, bakeries and bars.
Corn
The corn is used in several typical dishes such as 'pamonha', 'canjica ', 'munguza'. Even if it is consumed the whole year, the peak of the demand is during the feast 'Junines' in June.
Pamonha is sweet food made from corn and is a typical dish of the countryside. Its excellent taste is very popular. The green corn is rasped and after mixed with milk, salt, sugar. With the skin of the corn it is made a kind of bag where we put that mixed of the corn. After the bags are tied up they cook and get a consistence firm and soft.
Canjica and Mungunzá are typical sweet cakes of brazilian culinary.
Their main ingredients are green corn, sugar and milk. There is also the option to put also peanut or coconut milk.
Fruit juice
Sugar cane juice and cachaça
Sugar cane Juice (caldo de cana)
The 'Caldo de cana' is the name given to the liquid extracted from sugar cane in the process of grinding. It is a very energetic drink used also as base in the production of 'melado' and 'rapadura', very popular food in the Northeast Brazil region.
Cachaça
Except the beer consumed in great quantities in Brazil, Cachaça, the 'aguardente' produced from the sugar cane, is the typical drink of Brazilian people and is a part of the Folklore. Known under diverse names as 'cana', 'caninha', Cachaça represents in Brazil what Tequila represents in Mexico. In the state you can find several factories in the South of Natal, in the municipalities of Nísia Floresta and São José do Mipibu. It is from the Cachaça that is made the famous cocktail Caïpirinha, particularly appreciated by the foreign tourists.
Regional fruit Juices
Big variety of the regional fruit juices (Pineapple, mango, Caju, Caja, Graviola, Orange), without forgetting jams or candies made from Goiaba and caju.
Other very consummate juices in Brazil
To the fruits of the region, it is necessary to add 3 very consummate fruits in Brazil:
Acerola is mainly consumed in fruit juice, 'suco of acerola'. This fruit is very appreciated in Brazil for its ennergizer properties and vitamins, especially vitamin C in which it is very rich.
Guaraná: Guaraná is the fruit of a native and common shrub of Amazonia which gives some energy and the vitamin E. It is sold in the form of powder but also as soft drinks which compete with Coca-cola.
Açaí is the fruit of a palm tree and is nowadays very appreciated by the lovers of fruits wich give energy. Certain small restaurants make their specialty and serve it in a 'tigela', type ok cup according to the tradition. The taste of the açaí appears at the begining little strange, but it is necessary to be patient and to take back it several times.
Meat and fishes
Fishes
The fishing on the state coast brings fishes which also are part of the restaurants menus.
Shrimps
Dishes based on shrimp are many and varied, and are included in the menus of most of the restaurants.
Certain famous restaurants are specialized in the shrimp dishes.
Carne de Sol
Regional specialty, the 'carne de sol' has its origin in the previous centuries, before the existence of refrigerator, where it was used a technique of salting the meat to preserve it. In restaurants, generally, are served the best parts of the cow, but all the fragments can be salted. Served in generous portions, it is generally served with rice, 'macaxeira', 'farofa' or 'paçoca' and 'feijão verde'.
Paçoca
Paçoca is a 'farofa' consisted of unweaved pieces of 'carne de sol' and of flour of manioc (with typical seasoning onion, garlic, etc.)...
Dishes of the countryside
You can also find mainly in the state countryside typical dishes: 'Buchada', galinha 'torrada', sausage 'Linguiça do sertão', 'mungunzá', 'grude', 'suspiros', 'sequilhos', cheeses as 'queijo de coalho' or 'queijo de manteiga' and 'rapadura batida'.
