The Brazilian Approach to Hot Dogs (and Pizza and Burgers)

Burgers

The Brazilian version of the hamburger goes by the name x-salada, with “x” used as a substitute for “cheese.” It can be pretty standard, with lettuce, tomato, meat, and bun — but of course, Brazilians are able to twist this basic template into all kinds of creative snacks.

Just like every small city in the country has its own improvised soccer field (and evangelical church), it’s likely it also has a trailer, adapted to carry a flat-top grill, or chapa. It’s usually parked at a central square, with bench seats for people to relax, eat, and chat.

Depending on local tradition, a trailer x-salada can feature anything from canned peas to ham, olives, and bacon — sometimes all at once.

Pizza

Paulistanos have mastered the art of baking stuff on a round piece of dough, and São Paulo has the largest number of pizzerias per capita in the world. I had a lettuce and bacon pizza last week, but local favorites are marguerita (mozzarella, tomato, basil), Portuguesa (ham, eggs, olives, onion), and calabresa (pepperoni).

In Rio there’ve been reports of cariocas eating their mozzarella pizzas with ketchup.

But it gets more exotic than that. Chicago may have its “deep dish,” but here, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, there’s strogonoff and chicken heart pizza.

Bonus: Temaki

I won’t spend too much time on the insane temaki frenzy that’s taken over Brazil in the past five years, but I want to report that the Tabasco/Doritos/salmon temaki is real and lives inside a very popular branch of temakerias.

Sorry about that, Japan.