Brazilian food is a compression: indigenous, West African, and Portuguese influences collapsed into a single kitchen tradition over five centuries. No serious English-language cookbook had mapped that territory properly until this one. Ixta Belfrage co-authored Ottolenghi’s Flavor before going independent with Mezcla, which was nominated for a James Beard Award. Fusão is the deeper work - 288 pages underpinned by a three-week, 8,000km research journey across the country.
The recipes are specific and grounded: moqueca fish burgers, duck in golden tomato broth, papaya chocolate cake. Every unfamiliar ingredient is explained with genuine substitutes rather than the usual hand-wave toward specialist suppliers. Named a best book of 2025 by the New York Times, the Economist, and Waterstones independently.
The authority here is earned. Brazilian cuisine as subject matter remains surprisingly underrepresented at this level of rigour.
£28 - waterstones.com