Boteco Snack · Codfish Fritter
Bolinho de Bacalhau
📷 Closely related photo — Photo: Dora Dragoni / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
The cod used has never swum anywhere near Brazil — it's salted North Atlantic fish imported since colonial times, a Portuguese trade habit that outlasted the empire itself.
Deep-fried croquettes of shredded salt cod, mashed potato, and parsley, served piping hot at Rio's boteco bars as a beer snack. Vendors also sell them individually from trays at street fairs and beach kiosks.
Why it's made this way: Rio's dense concentration of Portuguese-heritage botecos, dating to the city's centuries as colonial and imperial capital, made this import-dependent fritter a defining Carioca bar snack.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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