Every four years, the summer Olympics come around. In 2012, the Olympics were in London and in 2016, this year, they are in Rio De Janeiro, a costal city in Brazil, which is known for its natural settings, especially its beaches, and samba (a Brazilian dance), and bossa nova, Brazilian music. It was the capital of Brazil until 1960.
If you are like me, you welcome the Olympics each cycle and anticipate watching amazing athletes perform for 16 days. In the summer, I look forward to watching swimming (I grew up a swimmer) and gymnastics the most. In the winter, I look forward to watching the ice-skating and bobsledding events. It is especially fun to hear each athlete’s background stories and to understand their journey to the Olympics.
Similar to football season, good snacks are needed to watch the Olympics with friends and to host parties. I scoured the internet to get some food ideas for you to not only get into the Olympic spirit, but the Brazilian spirit too!
You can’t go wrong with barbecued meat. In Brazil, the most popular meat cut is picanha, rump camp. Brazilians don’t do a lot of prep for the meat; they simply apply salt before grilling it over charcoal or wood. Other popular meats to cook include sausages and chicken hearts. You can pick up your meat or chicken from Neidermyer’s Poultry or Rice’s Meats. You can also order pre-made chicken kebabs from Shundeez.
You can also serve Pao de Queijo, cheesy dough balls, which can be eaten as a snack by themselves or as a bun with your favorite slider. Get the recipe here. The drink of choice for your guests can be the Caipirinha, a refreshingly tart and sweet rum drink made with sugarcane juice and other fruits such as lime, orange, plum, and melon. For dessert, try making dulce de leche macaroons. For more Brazilian snack ideas, visit, the Food Network. Stock up on what you can at the MARKET at the FAREWAY, behind the Chestnut Hill Hotel, to plan for and host the Olympics with your friends in Chestnut Hill.
