Brazilian cuisine varies enormously by region. The national dish is feijoada — a slow-cooked black bean and pork stew served with rice, farofa (toasted manioc flour), orange slices, and couve (kale). Churrascaria (all-you-can-eat rodízio barbecue) where waiters bring endless skewers of grilled meats is a Brazilian institution worldwide.
In the north, tacacá (jambu herb soup with shrimp and tucupi broth) and pirarucu fish are Amazon staples. Bahia's acarajé (black-eyed pea fritters filled with vatapá and shrimp) is extraordinary. Fresh açaí in the Amazon costs almost nothing and bears no resemblance to the sugary import abroad. Caipirinhas (cachaça, lime, sugar over crushed ice) are the national cocktail.