INTRODUCTION
Brazilian cuisine was developed from Portuguese, African, Native American, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and German influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences. Brazil is the largest country in both South America and the Latin American region. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population, with over 202,000,000 people.
Being strongly related to Portugal, which always had a strong connection with the sea; it is not surprising to see that Brazil has adopted seafood and fish in such a big way, in its traditional cuisine. One of the dishes that stand out in this category in Brazil is the Moqueca, a general term for a fish stew, which today has evolved into so many different dishes... Many regions of Brazil have created their own version of Moqueca, based on the naturally occurring fish species on each of this region's coastline.
Brazil might best be known for its beef, barbecue and slow-cooked stews, but the country nevertheless has more than 5,000 miles of coastline and the extensive Amazon River system, which provide access to productive marine and
freshwater fishing grounds. As a result, fish such as red snapper, cod and snook feature abundantly in the national diet. As with all Brazilian cuisine, however, variations across the country's vast area are considerable.
