The Portuguese are the dominant influence in Brazil and Uruguay. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. The Portuguese were much more interested than the Spanish in importing foods to the new colonies to help settle the land, as well as in exporting new" foods to Europe. Many African slaves settled along the coastline of Brazil, where sugar cane and tobacco could be cultivated. Brazil and Venezuela were the only countries in South America to import slaves. The slaves did most of the cooking in the colonies since the Portuguese women were too pampered to cook so the methods and ingredients used by African slaves have a great bearing on the dishes of Brazil. Other influences came from the Japanese, Germans and Italians.

However. long before the slaves were brought to South America. the Portuguese and Spanish were once themselves both conquered by the Moors of North Africa. It was the Moors who introduced the Portuguese to oranges. lemons and tangerines and the art of drying fruit. Many of the desserts eaten in Brazil are much too sweet for the tastes of Americans. The names of several desserts still draw you to them. such as: Big House Cookies, Hoping for a Husband Cake and Kisses from the Farmer's Daughter.

Wheat does not grow well in the northern parts of South America. Both the Spanish and Portuguese being Catholic, needed wheat to make the hosts which they served at mass. The priests used a product that the natives grew and used it to make a flat bread. It was manioc, a root vegetable that was used by the natives in the jungle of the Amazon Basin.

Besides manioc the Brazilian Indians knew many other crops such as corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts.  Coconuts grow along the coast of Brazil. but not in the deep interior, and it is believed that they may have come long before Columbus brought them by ocean currents from Africa. The Native Indians did not use the coconuts in everyday cuisine, but with the arrival of the slaves, its use became more common.  Coconuts can now be found in almost every meal and is used in every manner in Brazil. Rice is also used in almost every meal. along with beans of one type or another. Manioc powder is used in salt shakers and is present at most tables.

The National Party Dish of Brazil is the Fiejoada Completa, a meat and bean dish which is lavishly decorated and displayed in the shape of a horn of plenty. The Portuguese introduced dried shrimp to South America. The Africans became very fond of them and used them in a multitude of recipes, including tapas, chicken and seafood stews.