Belem Restaurants and Dining
(Belem, Pará, Brazil)
No different than any other city in the Brazilian state of Pará, the restaurants of Belem have been strongly influenced by indigenous cooking. Belem has become known for its tasty Amerindian cuisine, with many native flavours to be found on the menus at local dining establishments and similar eateries.
Some of the most appealing restaurants in Belem occupy restored waterfront warehouses in the Estacao das Docas area, where you can enjoy al fresco dining with a view, washing your meal down with some Brazilian Amazon or Cerpa beer. Other good choices include restaurants in the Cidade Velha district, around the cathedral on the Praca Frei Caetano Brandao.
Where to Eat
Further dining options reside around the centrally located Praca da Republica, while nearby, both the Avenida Governador José Malcher and the Rua Carlos Gomes are safe bets and suitable for pre-theatre dinners, being in close proximity to the Teatro da Paz. In the Comercio neighbourhood, look for eateries along prominent roads such as the Rua 28 de Setembro and the Rua San Antonio.
What to Eat
An array of regional specialties are available to tempt the taste buds of tourists in Belem. Freshwater crab from the swamps is a particularly popular dish, while other choices include ingredients such as stems from the Acai palm tree (used to make soup-like desserts) and pulp from the Cupuacu tree (used to make jellies, juices and ice creams). Notable dishes in Belem include:
- Caldeirada Paranaense - with shrimp, potatoes, red pepper and tucupi, served with rice and pirao (rich fish sauce)
- Caruru - made using okra, onion, nuts, palm oil, black-eye peas and shrimp, often deep fried in balls
- Manicoba - made with ground manioc leaves and salted pork, served with rice
- Pato no Tucupi - a mixture of duck, jambu (flowering herb) and tucupi, served with rice and pepper
- Tacacá - a tasty soup with fish, shrimp, eggs, potatoes, jambu and tucupi
- Tucupi - a fairly bitter yellow sauce made with boiled manioc, accompanying many dishes
- Vatapá - a creamy dish of coconut milk, bread, shrimp (or tuna / chicken) and ground peanuts