Little Brazil

This week's market will take you South of the Equator where Summer is in full swing, and plans for Mardi Gras are heating up

Little Brazil lives up to it's name. Situated on Federal, just north of 80th, the only sign you'll see from the road is the Brazilian Flag on the Missions Hill sign. The space is divided into a small grocery, with mainly dry goods from Brazil, and an dining area with a few table. There's neither produce nor a deli counter.

On the grocery side, there are several hard-to-find specialties, such as guava or coconut paste. Little Brazil carries Manioc Starch (Almodón Dulce, also known as tapioca flour,) and Sour Starch (Almodón Agrio), which both come from the cassava, or yucca, plant. Both are essential ingredients for Pao de Queijo, an addictive Brazilian cheese bread. Since Almodón Dulce is not wheat based, you can experiment with it for gluten-free recipes.

If you are more into grilling than baking, Little Brazil carries several different barbeque salts. They even have two types of guarana soda - think of the flavor of a Monster power drink in a lighter soda.

Currently, Little Brazil carries a full menu on the weekends, with only snacks (street-food) offered during the week. Of their snacks, we sampled the coxinha, a chicken croquettes that pair well with the vinegary hot sauce. While the kibe (a bulger wheat and meat croquette) looked over-cooked, the interior was still moist. The ham and cheese risolis looked more like a grilled cheese sandwich than a filled pastry. (They were out of the corn and the ground beef versions.) My favorite was the Torta de Frango Brazileira, a savory little chicken pie. While technically these classify as street food, a couple would make a great lunch.

Clockwise from top left: Kibe, Torta de Frango Brazileira, Risolis and two Coxinha.

Hopefully, Little Brazil will expand their offerings and add more Brazilian specialties. This little store holds great promise.

Little Brazil
8020 Federal Blvd.  #3
Westminster, CO  80031
Closed Sundays and Mondays