Beijummy’s Amazonia Inspired Flatbreads
Beijummy does the best beiju (or tapiocas) in London at Whitecross St Market. The super friendly Socrates, from North East Brazil, is a street food veteran and a couple of years ago teamed up with Chef Gus to bring his childhood treat, Beiju (or Tapioca), a kind of gluten-free flatbread using tapioca flour, filled with yummy stuff, to the streets of London. “When I grew up bread was hard to find, but when I came here I found bread everywhere, but no Beiju.” Indeed we all start missing our childhood comfort food, but now no Brazilian need feel deprived!
Vizioli’s Smokoloko
The name says it all, the six-hours of cherry wood smoke out of their ‘locomotive’ smoking machine, attracts people from all over the city to Spitafields Market. Run by the talented Vizioli, a gaucho from the Brazilian-Argentine border, these mouth-watering beef sandwiches use the best meat supply in London and a delicious flatbread produced locally in East-London. If only everything so simple could be so delicious, but that’s where the Vizioli’s secret lies.
www.facebook.com/smokolokoBBQ/
Dona Rita’s Pão de Queijo
When Dona Rita moved to Norwich she missed Pão de Queijo so much that she started making them herself. 15 years later, these gorgeous stretchy cheese balls that Brazilians eat morning, noon and night, are mouth wateringly delicious. The bun is made of cassava flour with fresh cheese and its wheat free, and there’s no better place to pop as many as you can than at Dona Rita’s pop up in Old Street www.donarita.co.uk
Brazilian Churros
The crunchy-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside doughnut strips of this wonderful female led team has conquered fans all over London. Based at Greenwich Market for over 5 years their churros are even made with vegan dough! The fillings of chocolate and doce de leite are freshly home-made and to die for. Churros are known all over Brazil, and extremely popular in the south of the country as well as in the neighbour Latin American countries.
https://www.facebook.com/BrazilianChurrosLondon/
Nyb’s Salgadinhos
The wonderful and smiley Nagyla is the queen of the Brazilian coxinha in London. She is the mastermind behind Nyb’s salgadinhos, little savoury snacks that are all the rage at parties. Coxinhas are the favourite and Nyb’s produces several flavours, including four cheese, truffle and salmon with cream cheese. She’s also famous for Kibe, salted cod risoles, croquetas and the infamous empadas. made with a specific pie-like dough, filled with chicken or seafood, cheese, veggies and baked until golden. Nagyla also does the pastel which are deep fried crunchy parcels filled usually with meat or cheese. In Brazil, you see these everywhere, often sold with Caldo de Cana (sugar cane juice). Nyb’s does much catering but always goes down at treat at Comida Fest.
Alicia Bastos is a Director of Comida Fest, events specialist, communicator and food lover www.comidafest.com
