Be Extremely Careful When Eating These Street Foods in Rio de Janeiro

Not all street food is created equal.

Street food has become a global tradition and is very common in many countries. It can be a representation of cultural diversity, but not necessarily local, since some flavors or dishes originate in other countries, but has been adaptated to regional cuisine. In any case, it is a fusion of flavors and colors.

In Brazil, street food is present all year round, with plenty of choices. In Rio de Janeiro, one of the country’s most touristic cities, street food is part of everyday life and can be found on the roads, beaches, fairs, events, etc. Tourists can taste a different delicacy on every street corner, but some should be avoided for various reasons. This year, the gastronomy website Chowhound named Rio among the 14 cities with the best street food in the world–but some precautions should be observed.

Street food is cheap and quick, but can be not very healthy. Most importantly, it always needs to be kept at a temperature that suits it, whether hot or cold. However, the big risk lies in the potentially unhealthy environment where these foods are sold–often exposed to dust, sun, worms, bacteria, insects, and poor cooking regulations. These foods are often stored in cool boxes but at inadequate temperatures, which can encourage the proliferation of spoiling microorganisms responsible for the term “food-borne illnesses.”

Once the food is contaminated, it can cause food poisoning, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and, in some more severe cases, gastric ulcers and hepatitis. Sometimes, street vendors don’t even have potable water available to clean their hands and the items used to prepare the food. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 250 different food-borne diseases, making it one of the leading public health problems in the world. Popular videos on Instagram showing how street food is prepared in countries such as India have provoked questions about the damage that street food can cause to human health.

Acarajé

A legacy of Afro-Brazilian culture in Bahia (a state located in the northeast of the country), Acarajé is a dumpling made from beans with palm oil and filled with Vatapá (a paste made from chicken or fish with coconut milk, peanuts, cashew nuts, and rice flour), shrimp, salad, and Caruru (a more solid paste made with okra, dried shrimp, onion, roasted peanuts, coconut milk, lemon, and salt).

It is food that has a connection with the orixás (deities belonging to religions of African origin) and has a cultural history behind it. While it’s extremely popular in Bahia, Acarajé can be found in various parts of the country, including Rio de Janeiro. The vendors are usually women wearing white dresses and turbans in reference to their African roots. The dumpling is shaped and fried on the spot in palm oil, then she breaks it in half and adds the fillings. It is necessary to pay attention to whether some items are kept warm: Vatapá or Caruru should be kept at a temperature of 149 Fahrenheit (65 °C), which rarely happens.

Pastel and Sugarcane Juice

The thin pastry filled with meat or cheese is fried on the spot, just like Acarajé, and is very popular at fairs and municipal markets, especially in Rio and São Paulo in the southeast. It is often sold with a glass of sugarcane juice, but this is not a rule. The nutrient-rich drink balances out the taste of the pastel, a mixture of sweet and savory. The risk lies in the oil that is reused to fry the pastéis several times, but it’s easy to see; the blacker the frying, the more it has been reused, so it’s best to avoid it.

Hot Dogs

The Brazilian version is quite different from the United States, as it contains many more ingredients, which can generate astonishment among tourists. In addition to the sausage, mustard, and ketchup on the bun, the Brazilian hot dog also includes homemade tomato sauce, quail’s egg, olives, peas, raisins, grated potato French fries, and even grated cheese. It’s one of Brazil’s most classic street foods, not to mention one of the first. In Brazil, there are two variations; in addition to the traditional sausage, there is also pork sausage, which has the same additions. It’s street food, but it can also be found at children’s birthdays in smaller sizes.

The risk lies in the storage conditions of some items with low shelf life or even prepared without minimum hygiene conditions, as well as Rio’s essentially hot climate, which can reduce the food quality. For nutritionist Rafael Manga, there is another factor to consider: “As well as temperature, humidity also plays a role. When we have this variation between the two, it’s much easier for food to spoil because some items need to be refrigerated, and they can’t stay in this thermal oscillation,” he warns.

Churros

Churros are of Iberian origin but also very popular in South American countries, including Brazil, where the rope-shaped sweet with sugar and cinnamon is filled with chocolate or milk jam. It is a sweet enjoyed as a dessert after lunch and is easily found in carts in the streets, squares, parks, and events. Again, the risk is not in the food itself but in the storage conditions of these carts. They are often usually improperly stored with potential exposure to rodents. So, the danger lies in the unsanitary conditions of these spaces.

Boiled Green Corn

There are countless foods that can be made with corn, but when it comes to street food, cooked green corn is the most common throughout Brazil. Carts with huge pots are seen on the beachfront, in squares, at events, and in soccer stadiums. Although it’s a simple food compared to others, it also poses health risks, especially if the water used for cooking is reused for several days, which can lead to the appearance of maggots. In some cases, the same hand that serves the food also receives the money, another high risk of contamination.

Sweet Couscous

Sweet couscous is a very tasty sweet that is made of grated coconut, coconut milk, and manioc starch. Found in parks, streets, and even on beaches, it is often eaten by children. However, sweet couscous is sold in trays and exposed to room temperature, which means the excessively hot climate of Rio de Janeiro. Consuming couscous can cause intestinal problems, such as diarrhea, due to the precarious conditions (climate) in which it is sold and the lack of hygiene when preparing it.

Fried Shrimp on a Stick

Easily found on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the name describes the delicacy: small fried dried shrimp skewered on a stick. The street vendor walks along the hot sand with a tray containing several skewers and slices of lemon for seasoning. However, shrimp carry a high risk of contamination by bacteria, which can be aggravated by exposure to the sun for long periods, causing gastroenteritis (gastric inflammation). In addition, as with pastel, it may have been fried in reused frying oil, increasing the risks. In some cases, sellers use dye to give the shrimp a reddish color to make it look fresh.

X-Tudo

The origin of the X-Tudo burger (X-all in English) is unknown, but some say it was created in Rio de Janeiro (despite the lack of concrete evidence). The sandwich impresses with the number of items added (in addition to the meat), making it monumental. It consists of ham, cheese, peas, green corn, bacon, tomato, lettuce, grated carrot, egg, grated fries, and mayonnaise. However, the X-Tudo has distinct characteristics compared to all other street food: it is usually sold at night in vans adapted as a snack bar. Another curious detail is that the sandwich is widely consumed by young people on low incomes, typically returning from parties and nightclubs, which is why the vehicles are usually parked near these places.

The risk to health lies mainly in the conditions in which these foods are prepared and cleaned. The more items the sandwich contains, such as X-Tudo or hot dogs, the more dangerous they can be. Beef, eggs, and mayonnaise are the foods most associated with food-borne illnesses due to the spread of salmonella and fecal coliform bacteria. Another food that requires a lot of attention is salad, which is common at X-Tudo. If the vegetables are dark or wilted, avoid eating them. “It doesn’t matter what the food is; the criterion is hygiene, so always try to eat in fixed establishments because they are inspected, and this way there will be greater safety,” recommends Manga.

Street Food Tips:

– Observe the cleanliness of the place, and don’t order your meal if you notice dusty plates, cutlery, or the presence of flies.
– Observe whether the vendor is handling the food wearing gloves, a mask, and a headdress.
– Observe the smell, texture, and taste of the food.
– If you notice anything strange, don’t eat it.