Due to the many seasonings and influences from Europeans, Indigenous, Africans and other people, Maranhão cuisine is a culinary concoction that is exuberant, unique, and unequalled in flavours and recipes.

The flagship dish is the much-celebrated arroz de cuxá, a vinagreira sorrel leaf, with dried shrimp and sesame, usually combined with seafood. Stew and pies made of shrimps, mussels and crab, a fish meal based on the noble hake (fish), braised anchovy and grilled shrimp are just some of the delicacies that grace the traditional Maranhão table.

Sweet highlights are the Portuguese-inspired coconut-based delicacies. Other popular choices are crystallised sweets, in dough or syrup made from regional fruits, such as cashew, buriti, bacuri and jackfruit. It is also worth noting that the Maranhão pineapple, specifically from the Turiaçu region, is revered for its flavour and low acidity.

For those visiting the south of Maranhão State, the best flavours are to be found in its meat, one specialty being the carne-de-sol which, when prepared with rice, is transformed into the delicious Maria Isabel. One mustn’t forget the famous Guaraná Jesus, too, with its sweet flavour and vibrant pink colour!