caldo de cana is a legacy of the brazilian sugar cane trade. a single stalk of sugar cane is milked by hand into a glass filled with ice. the drink, sweet but not cloying, with a light green color, is the blood in the veins of a tradition more than 300 years old and beloved of cariocas of all ages.   

any traveler to terra fluminense would be remiss not to partake of acarajé, the afro-brazilian black-eyed pea fritter famous across the country. sold at small kiosks, by sometimes whole gangs of women clad in pristine white dresses, the fritters are formed by hand, fried in palm oil, sliced open and stuffed with okra, fresh cashews and cassava.