ooking for something fun and different during the summer months and holidays? Try the old world style of Churrasco ( pronounced shoo-RAS-koo) or otherwise known as Brazilian barbecue. The new style of cooking spread throughout Brazil in the 1940’s and in return dropped the population in the city of Nova Brescia to only thirty thousand due to the Gauchos (Brazilian cattle ranchers) moving all across the country to open their own restaurants.

Churrascarias are becoming very popular throughout the world and new restaurants are finding there way all over the United States. Brazilian barbecue started in the 1530’s when Gauchos were raising cattle imported from Cape Verde to Sao Pao Paulo. This style of cooking was a staple for the Gauchos or Brazilian cowboys. They had the idea of putting pieces of beef on a large metal skewer then cooking the meat on a open pit filled with hot coals.

Originally, the meat called picanha or a sirloin cut of beef was simply seasoned with coarse salt and later using salt water to baste to keep the meat moist. Today, you can find almost any kind of meat marinated and cooking on these modern day rotisseries. There is still a ban in the U.S. on Brazilian beef, but efforts are being made to change this so the unique culture can evolve using their traditional ingredients.

Brazilian barbeque is much more than a way of cooking in Rio Grande do Sul, it's a way of life. When you go to this style of restaurant it is known as rodizio service. Passadors or meat waiters arrive at your table with different cuts of meat cooked on large sword skewers and slice at the table for you. It is more like a buffet with tableside service. This style of service is definitely something to check out for the carnivore in you. However, if you are a vegetarian most high-end restaurants do have salad bars and a variety of side dishes as with any buffet style restaurant you getting filled up on the pre-entrée fillers is good for the bottom line.

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