The 2016 Olympics has started with an explosion of scantly clad samba dancers and carnival delights – these Brazilians know how to throw a party! But you don’t have to travel the globe to get into the carnival spirit. Why not host your own Rio Olympics themed bash at home? Make your party sizzle with five authentic Brazilian ingredients you’ll need to get a gold medal for throwing a Rio Olympics styled party!
1) Cocktails
Let’s be honest, no party is complete without a great cocktail, and Caipirinha is a Brazilian tradition – think of it as the Mojito’s zesty cousin. It’s super easy to make and super delicious to drink!
Ingredients:
1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces cachaca
Method:
Slice the lime into 1/2-inch rounds, cube them, and put them in a tumbler glass with the sugar. Add a couple of ice cubes. Pour in the cachaça. Serve with a stirring rod – too easy!
2) Food
Brazilians love a good BBQ, and there is nothing purer in Brazilian cuisine as the Churrascao – where the humble BBQ get’s a Rio makeover. This is a meat lover’s heaven – with selections of meat on spits or skewers, sizzling away on an open, smoky flame. For extra Olympian points, you can marinade the meat in lime juice and garlic for a zesty, fresh Latino kick. Don’t have an open flame? You can pick up throwaway charcoal BBQ’s for about $6 or a mini spit roaster for as little as $88 in your local Bunno’s – result! (you might not BBQ on gas ever again!)
3) Dessert
With Brazil’s array of tropical fruits, you know their desserts are going to be sweet and delicious. Like the Cuscuz Branc, or White Pudding, made with shredded coconut, condensed milk and tapioca pearls. It’s just the right amount of sweetness, and after devouring it in one sitting you’ll have the perfect excuse to shake your body to the Samba! We found the recipe here.
4) Música
An essential ingredient to throwing your party is music. No Rio carnival is complete without the Samba – and your Olympic themed party won’t be either! Turn up the Latino beats and shake your booty and stamp your feet to the infectious tunes. We all know about the Samba, but the Bossa Nova, Forro, MPB and Sertanejo are also traditional party music choices in Brazil. So get some carnival spirit into your Spotify playlist.
*Feather headdresses are not compulsory but highly recommended!
5) The Real Carnival Spirit
It is a carnival after all, so how about a shot or two of Brazil’s traditional spirit, Cachaça. Made from cane sugar, it’s a sibling to white rum, yet made with the cane juice instead of the processed cane. Apparently (so my Brazilian friends tells me) it’s pronounced ‘kah-SHAH-sa’ but let’s face it, you probably won’t remember how to pronounce it after a shot or two, but what you will remember is an awesome night out in the Olympic city of Rio de Janeiro right here in Sydney…
