In the coming years, we are going to be hearing a lot about Brazil. With the 2014 FIFA World Cup just around the corner and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro just two years later, it seems there will be no choice but to get in line and learn to dance the samba. While Brazil’s beaches and Carnival are world renowned, much less is known internationally about the cuisine of South America’s largest country. However, during my last two visits, I had the strong sense that Brazilian food is about to have its ‘moment in the sol’.

Where once the grand restaurants of Sao Paulo would have been temples to Italian food, their focus has now turned inward. Star chefs like Alex Atala of D.O.M are now exploring the potential of native ingredients, while Mara Salles of Tordesilhas is celebrating the country’s traditional regional dishes. Menus now frequently feature classics such as the pork, rice and bean dish feijoada.

The country’s rich bounty is also on show at markets and in restaurants in the form of exotic fruits, including acai, cashew (yes, the fruit of the ubiquitous nut) and the rather magical shiny black jabuticaba that fruits all over its trunk and branches. Inspired by this revived passion for Brazil’s greatest hits, I’ve shared a vibrant moqueca, a thick seafood stew that hails from Bahia, the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture in the country’s north-east.

For the best Moqueca (Brazilian fish stew) recipe click here.

Visiting South America? Why not have a look at our Argentinian food guide or read all about Peruvian cuisine.