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A Day of Brazilian Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner at Friends’ Homes｜H&A Portuguese Language School
- atsukohoshi
- Nov 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Oi gente!!!! Tudo bem?
My name is Atsuko Hoshi Natalia.
I am a Board Member of the Japan–Brazil Central Association, a Brazilian dentist, and the owner and instructor of H&A Consulting and its Portuguese language school.
I am a second-generation Japanese Brazilian, born and raised in Santos, Brazil, and I currently live in Tokyo Japan.
One of the things I look forward to most when returning to Brazil is sharing meals with friends and relatives.
In this blog, I’d like to share some reflections I had while enjoying the homemade dishes I was served during my recent trip back to Brazil.
I lived in Brazil until I was 18, growing up with Japanese parents who had immigrated there. As a result, our home meals were always Japanese — simmered dishes, braised fish, pickles, and simple vegetable sides. Looking back, it was truly a blessing.
But whenever I visited friends’ homes, then and now, I’ve always noticed one thing: Brazilians don’t eat many vegetables. 😓
However, in many Japanese Brazilian households, you’ll find more vegetable dishes on the table — even ones that take time and effort to prepare. You can also see plenty of vegetables in the homes of vegans or health-conscious Brazilians, but in a country 23 times the size of Japan, that’s still just a small fraction of households.
Even when you look at meals prepared by housekeepers, they are usually very simple: a single main dish, often pasta, or the classic combination of rice and beans (feijão). Then they add some meat — usually beef — as a side. “Bife” corresponds to what we think of as steak in Japan, and compared to Japanese prices, Brazilian beef is much more affordable.
In general, Brazilian kitchens are incredibly clean and well organized — remarkably so. And this is true across households, despite Brazil’s wide social disparities.
Because of that, people really dislike making a mess in the kitchen. Pots are kept shiny, and dirty dishes are never left sitting around. Since most people work full-time, they don’t spend much time cooking. Convenience and speed matter more than quality when it comes to daily meals. But dessert? That’s something they never skip.😅
Of course, every household is different no matter what country you look at. But compared to the average Japanese family, I truly feel that Brazilian home cooking uses far fewer vegetables.
So, let’s take a look at what a typical day of meals might look like. (Example)
Breakfast Bread or biscuits are the usual breakfast items. People typically put ham, cheese, or just butter on the bread. Eating rice in the morning is simply unheard of in Brazil — even among Japanese Brazilians.
For drinks, it’s usually coffee or café com leite (coffee with milk), though some people prefer fresh juice.
Milk has become quite expensive in Brazil recently, and everyone complains about it.
Lunch While many people often eat out for lunch, home meals are usually simple — just one quick and easy dish.
For example: pasta, gnocchi, or the classic combination of rice and beans (feijão).
When people do eat out, a popular choice is comida por quilo, which literally means “food by the kilo.” You fill a single plate with whatever you like, the plate is weighed, and you pay according to the weight. Even so, it’s generally quite affordable.
However, when eating at a restaurant, it’s very common for people to share the dishes they order. One reason is the portion size. In the photo below… believe it or not, this is a single serving! It cost around 2,700 yen.
For me, it’s far too much food, and a bit expensive for lunch, so in cases like this I usually share the dish with friends or family.
Dinner Dinner is usually very light, often consisting of soup, a sandwich, or some fruit. Many people also enjoy something sweet afterward.
The photo above shows a tapioca dish filled with cheese and eggs. At first glance, it might look like a dessert, but it is not sweet. Still, dessert is an essential part of any meal in Brazil.😅💦
This time as well, I definitely had dessert. As a result, I’ve gained about 3 kilograms!
Brazilians can easily make cakes at home. The cake in the photo above was made by a friend at the house I visited this time. It was made with coconut and condensed milk. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
It’s fascinating to see how each country has its own unique food culture — and even more so when you experience it firsthand.
If you enjoyed this topic, feel free to leave a comment or share your own experiences with cultural differences. I’d love to hear from you!
If you want to further improve your Portuguese skills, check out the short video below (57 seconds) and click the button below as well.
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