Also known as piraúna or "crooked-mouthed corvina," the perumbeba has white, firm flesh and a well-defined fillet with few bones. Because it feeds on crabs, shrimp, and blue crabs at the bottom of the lagoon, it has an intense flavor and aroma.

Bacupari, grumixama, or araçá-pera? Even in cities like Rio, surrounded by beaches and shaped by a tropical climate and landscape, gelaterias have largely followed Italian traditions centered on milk and cream.

Cultivated by Indigenous peoples and once part of Brazil’s colonial cuisine, mangarito returns to Angá Ateliê Culinário (@angaatelieculinario) every winter to celebrate the backyard cooking that defines this Petrópolis restaurant. This is the season when the ingredient reaches its peak, as the cold

The sapucaia nut, from a tree native to the Atlantic Forest, is in season. It has a bright, almost floral and citrusy aroma. On the palate, it brings earthy notes, somewhere between banana and apple.

The pork collar, a richly marbled cut that makes the meat tender and moist, was served with its own collagen-packed, lip-smacking jus. The chicory cut through the richness of the fat, and the most ethereal cassava farofa in the world was sprinkled over the top.

At the peak of flavor, beetroot takes center stage on Lilia's menu with grilled pearl onions, curd, white tahini, and crispy chili.