Feijoada (Brazilian black-bean stew)
Feijoada · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Black beans slow-cooked with pork, blending Portuguese, African and Indigenous food; Brazilians eat it on Saturdays.
Know before you go
- Don't leave valuables on the table at the beach
- don't rush off as soon as you've finished (this is a meal to eat slowly)
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
From slaves' food to national dish
In northern Portugal, bean-and-meat stews use white or red beans. In 18th-century colonial Brazil, enslaved Africans used black beans native to the Americas and leftover pork to create the Brazilian feijoada; a 2015 study by the University of São Paulo argues that it blended Portuguese, African and Indigenous food traditions during slavery. By the 19th century it had gone from labourers' supper to Brazil's national dish.
Source: Wikipedia: Feijoada
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
'Feijoada' comes from the Portuguese for 'beans', and there are many versions across the Portuguese-speaking world. The northern Portuguese version uses white or red beans. In 18th-century colonial Brazil, enslaved Africans made the dish with black beans and leftover pork; a 2015 study from the University of São Paulo concluded that it merged Portuguese, African and Indigenous food traditions during slavery. By the 19th century it had gone from labourers' supper to Brazil's national dish, usually eaten on Saturdays.
Local customs
With white rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour), collard greens and orange slices, often with a caipirinha
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Brazil: don't go to city beaches after dark
- Take only a little cash to the beach
- If you are robbed, hand over your things and don't resist
- Going to city beaches after dark
- Taking valuables to the beach or using your phone in the street
Gangs carry out mass beach robberies known as 'arrastão'; phone snatching peaks between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Brazil travel advice
Brazil: e-cigarettes are completely illegal
- Leave your e-cigarette at home before you travel
- Carrying e-cigarettes, pods or accessories
All e-cigarettes and accessories are illegal, and customs confiscate them from checked and hand luggage.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Brazil travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Don't leave valuables on the table at the beach
- don't rush off as soon as you've finished (this is a meal to eat slowly)
Locals appreciate DO
Cariocas appreciate the leisure of a slow Saturday-lunchtime feijoada with friends.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Many restaurants serve it only on Wednesdays and Saturdays
- portions are huge, so several people can share. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
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