Description
Don’t be put off by the fact that none of the items on the menu on the wall sound familiar; they’re foreign to most Cariocas too. This tiny, unassuming eatery serves only foods from the northern state of Para. Tacaca do Norte is a great place to go for a snack or light meal if you want to sample some unusual genuine Brazilian food. Pick a juice (R$3) or ice cream (R$4-R$8.50) from a list of tropical fruits with unpronounceable names and, in some cases, rather odd flavors. Do not miss the casquinha de caranguejo (a simple but very tasty fresh crab dish served with manioc flour, R$9) which you can top with a fiesty, homemade yellow hot pepper sauce. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the restaurant’s signature dish: served in a black cuia (gourd-like bowl), tacaca (R$9) has succulent shrimp floating in broth alongside jambu, a green vegetable which leaves your mouth slightly numb. The tapioca on the bottom of the bowl gives the broth a slimy consistency but the soup is quite good.
For the less daring, the açaí is a good choice. Served in a glass (copo, R$7) or bowl (tigela, R$9), this regally purple sorbet-like cream is made from the pulp of an Amazon berry. It is full of vitamins and antioxidants and, though the flavor may surprise you on the first spoonful, you’ll surely be addicted by the second or third!

	Information:
	Location Details Rua Barão do Flamengo, 35R Flamengo Tel (55) 21 2205-7545 Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-10:00pm and Sunday, 9:00am-7:00pm