Rio Carnival 2012: Best street foods for partying all day (and night)

It’s impossible to survive consecutive days of Carnival blocos, parties, and parades without adding hits of nutrition to your daily beer diet. For this, Rio de Janeiro’s street food vendors have you covered.

Street food can be found everywhere in Rio de Janeiro, particularly during big events like Carnival and New Year’s. Mobile carts and stands offer cheap, tasty Brazilian eats — vital for travelers struggling to stay on a budget in a city where a side order of restaurant french fries can cost upwards of 25 reais (US$14). Though much of the fare isn’t healthy by a long shot, there are specialties that will fill you up without throwing you into a food coma that will render you incapable anything beyond a nap on Ipanema Beach. Here’s what’s kept me going all week.

Espetinhos
Brazil’s version of shish kabob, espetinhos are tasty morsels of barbequed meat on a stick. The most common are sausage and chicken, and many Brazilians add ketchup or hot sauce and throw some farinha de mandioca, a type of crunchy flour, on top.

Milho verde
After a few days at Carnival, you may start experiencing an intense craving for salad, greens, or any food that isn’t deep fried and over salted. Get your vegetable fix with boiled corn-on-the-cob, served with butter.

Quiejo coalho
For a shot of dairy, try quiejo coalho, a type of salty Brazilian cheese that is served grilled on a stick. Beware addiction.


Tapioca
If you’ve never tried fried tapioca, you’re in for a treat. Vendors cook the tapioca powder in a pan until it turns a pancake-like consistency, then they add a sweet or savory filling, like chocolate or dried meat. The Brazilian guys ahead of me recommended a traditional combination of coconut, sweet cheese, and condensed milk. Delicious.

Caipirinhas
Okay, so it’s not actually a food. And check out all that sugar! But ask your vendor to cut back on the white stuff and add extra lime, and you have a refreshing beverage that will keep you dancing in the streets late into the night. And that’s what you’re looking for, right?

Check out Gadling’s full range of Rio Carnival 2012 coverage here.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of December 31

With so many interesting stories coming out and into the New Year it made selecting this week’s five a bit difficult, yet I think I’ve gathered a well-rounded batch for you to review.

5. Think Before You Click:

Here is the sad tale of a German tourist who accidentally booked a ticket and flew into Sidney, Montana when he actually wanted to go to Sydney, Australia. The lucky fellow was able to make it to his intended destination with the help of family and friends, but talk about a costly mistake! Ouch.

4. Ask The Pilot:
Looking for the answer to all your flying questions? Why not “Ask the Pilot” or pick up the book to see if your question happens to make the selection of commonly pondered questions.

3. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum:
When a former president is no longer with us it is a big deal to say the least and many feel the need to pay some sort of tribute. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is just one place to start or perhaps you can think and thank him on your way from the ATM as he was the dude that made it legal to pull money from a machine. Not as grand as a trip to the museum, but its just a thought.

2. Paddling Baja Dispatch: Day 2:

After another great trip, Erik returns to share with us the details of paddling Baja. In this dispatch he talks about his guide Carlos, jagged coastlines, incredible rock formations, Mexican food, and rum and of course he does the favor of including some very cool photos from the affair. There is more to come, but in the meanwhile catch up on this if you already haven’t.

1. Chinese Shish Kabobs:
Death-wish or delicious? I don’t know about the food found in the pictures from Neil’s pal Pete, but I do know they make my skin crawl to the point where these Chinese shish kabob would be staying far from the taste-buds and only close enough for photo ops. Do proceed with caution.