rio de janeiro has been the official capital of the empire of brazil and of the republic of brazil for centuries - in the 1960s, brasília was named the new capital of the country, but rio still maintains its title of de-facto economic and cultural capital of brazil.

therefore, rio has welcomed a constant inflow of merchants, immigrants, politicians, and voyagers from everywhere in the world - today, gastronomy in rio is the result of their respective contributions.

along with these influences, modern brazilian cuisine also incorporates indigenous seasonings and recipes, mixed in with both ancient african preparations and traditional portuguese culinary traditions -  the result is the unique take of conventional recipes and the creation of a wide variety of new and unique dishes, with a strong portuguese influence.