Mineiro Cuisine and Dona Lucinha (Belo Horizonte)

Comida Mineira, the traditional food of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais is a great candidate to lead the internationalization of Brazilian cuisine. The culinary delights that this cuisine has to offer may be simple in appearance, but don't be fooled since the stews are steeped in history, and the labor-intensive and time-consuming methods reflect the passion of Mineiros.

Tropeiros were "cowboys/trailblazers" who guided livestock to the frontiers of the Brazilian territory during colonial and early republican times. Given their lifestyle, their meals tended to be filling and practical. Today, many of those are part of traditional mineiro cuisine. Take for instance Feijão Tropeiro, a mix of beans with cassava (a.k.a. manioc, yuca) flour garnished with linguiça (pork saussage), torresmo (pork rinds) and eggs. Another famous tropeiro meal is Vaca Atolada which is stewed beef ribs with manioc.

Comida da fazenda, or farm-style food, fills in the other half of the Mineiro cuisine and is most representative of the agricultural heritage of the state. Frango com Quiabo, is stewed chicken with okra often served with sliced couve (a strong, leafy vegetable related to cabbage known as collard greens) and angú (corn or manioc flour cooked with water to make a mash, much like polenta in Italian cuisine).

Perhaps the most famous Mineiro food is Pão de Queijo (Cheese bread) which is bread made from manioc flour and cheese, eaten at any time of the day as a side or snack.

Typical desserts rely heavily on fruits or dairy products. Fruits such as oranges, papaya, guava, figs, and pineapples are cooked and served either as a pureé or a compote-like dessert. Dairy products also help satiate Mineiro sweet-tooth, for example doçe de leite is milk and sugar throughly cooked into a mousse-like cream. This dessert has been made famous as dulce de leche since it's also present in the Spanish-speaking world. Mineiros like their dairy so much, they even mix fruit and dairy in their desserts. Romeu e Julieta is guava paste presented with pieces of fresh white cheese.

All of these, and many other traditional dishes are served at Dona Lucinha, a buffet-style restaurant in downtown Belo Horizonte. At Dona Lucinha the quantity does not mean quality is sacrificed. I recommend going hungry and trying as many options as possible. Outside of the exceptional food, the restaurant is quite normal. Dona Lucinha also has a restaurant serving the same great food in São Paulo!