Food and Drink Choice of Brazil

Describe the food and drink choices of Brazil, and explain how these choices have been shaped?
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There are many factors which influence in the food and choice of a country. Its location, geography, climate and colonisation are same examples. Brazil has been influenced from this factors when colonised by Portugal in 1500. Also because of its vast territory, food and drink choices do vary.
Brazil is located in South America, situated on the east-central coast of the continent, is the fourth largest country in the world (Encyclopaedia of the nations 2010). It is divided in five regions. Being them, North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South, as can be seen from figure 1. Brazil is divided in 26 states and one federal district, where is located the capital, Brasilia.
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Figure 1. Brazil regional map (Ecobrazil)

Brazil can be divided into five regional climatic zones: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Temperatures vary from 19°C to 40°C. In the North region, especially in Amazon Basin the climate is hot and tropical with annual rainfall. The highlands, roughly half of the total area, are subtropical. The coast of Brazil ranges from tropical in the north and in the south temperate, in the winter occasionally snowfall. The Northeast is the driest part of Brazil. In summer temperatures can get higher than 38 °C. The is a region of semidesert vegetation, called sertao, where temperature is very high, and when rains which is not very frequent, it is possible to see green vegetation.

In 1500, Brazil was colonised by Portugal. The Portuguese brought slaves, mainly from Africa, also seed and cattle. Other European countries moved to the Portuguese colony. The French stabilized in Rio de Janeiro. Dutch moved to Bahia, in northeast. When the Portuguese arrived, the population there found were the indigenous. Yet can be found mostly in the North region. Brazil became independent in 1822. Many immigrants than...