the northeastern fair in são cristóvão, known locally as 'feira nordestina', serves some of the finest regional food in the city, with numerous food stands serving produce from bahia, ceara, and piaui - northeasters states of brazil.

bahia is particularly known for its seafood and there are some delicious restaurants devoted to the cooking style in rio, most notably siri mole & cia where lobster, crab, shrimp, and caldinhos are cooked with love and passion by professional chefs.

hot sauces are common for finger-foods such as pastels, but spicy food can be hard to come by - for visitors with a palate accustomed to hot cuisine the international restaurants can be a good option.