Minas Gerais, a massive, landlocked state in southeastern Brazil, is renowned as the culinary heart of the country, a place where the food is as deeply rooted and robust as its mining history. In the eighth season of Parts Unknown (2016), Anthony Bourdain traveled to the capital city of Belo Horizonte to explore a regional cuisine that bypasses the famous coastal seafood in favor of heavy, slow-cooked, unapologetic comfort food. This episode was a celebration of a culinary culture built on pork, beans, offal, and a fierce sense of tradition. Bourdain’s journey through Minas Gerais focused on the quintessential, working-class dishes that define the region. He dove into the bustling, sensory overload of the Mercado Central, experiencing the challenging flavors of local ingredients like the notorious pequi fruit. He sought out the beloved botecos (neighborhood bars) to sample masterful preparations of liver, ox tongue, and the iconic, hearty bean dish, Feijão Tropeiro. It was an exploration of a food scene that values profound, slow-cooked flavor above all else. Here are the essential spots that provided a true taste of the comforting, heavy-hitting soul of Minas Gerais.
The great Anthony Bourdain left his mark everywhere he went. When his death was announced to the world in June 2018, media throughout the globe chimed in and listed all the great things he had done for their respective city, town, province, country. Whereas before, tourists would shy away from exotic foods, thanks to him, travellers now go the extra mile to find and try local bites. With this in mind, here are all the restaurants Bourdain visited and the dishes he tasted when he shot Anthony Bourdain Minas Gerais, Brazil for his show, Parts Unknown Season 8 Episode 9 (originally aired November 27, 2016):
READ MORE: BRAZIL/AMAZON: ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED BY ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON NO RESERVATIONS
DISH – Pequi
WHAT IS IT?
Also called Souari Nut, it tastes “sweaty”, like a barnyard. According to Anthony Bourdain, “f you bite too deep, you get a mouthful of hundreds of nano-spikes requiring professional extraction”.
WHERE IS IT?
Mercado Central
Av. Augusto de Lima, 744 – Centro
Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MINAS GERAIS NOTES
In Parts Unknown Minas Gerais, Brazil, Anthony Bourdain describes Mercado Central as the heart of Minas, where everybody shops.
READ MORE: 10 NOVELS TO READ BEFORE YOUR NEXT VACATION
DISH – Fígado Acebolado com Jiló
WHAT IS IT?
Liver with jiló and onions.
WHERE IS IT?
Bar da Lora
Av. Augusto de Lima, 744 – Centro
Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MINAS GERAIS NOTES
Bar da Lora is named after its owner, who is also known as “The Blonde”. She is known to be the first woman to run a bar in Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte.
DISH – Ox Tongue and Feijão Tropeiro
WHAT IS IT?
Ox Tongue cooked with basil, mint and pepper; Feijão Tropeiro – beans and manioc flour. smoked and cured meats and fresh eggs.
WHERE IS IT?
Bar Do Careca
Rua Simão Tamm – Cachoeirinha
Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MINAS GERAIS NOTES
Bar Do Careca is one of the famous botecos (restaurant/bars) in Minas Gerais where Anthony Bourdain had Feijão Tropeiro with pig’s foot.
DISH – Braised Turkey Neck and Cupim Pot Roast
WHAT IS IT?
Turkey neck braised with butter and garlic; Cupim Pot Roast – ox hump pot roast served with mashed potatoes and farofa.
WHERE IS IT?
Birosca
Rua Silvianópolis, 483 – Santa Tereza
Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil
ANTHONY BOURDAIN MINAS GERAIS NOTES
At Birosca, Anthony Bourdain had Braised Turkey Neck served on white beans, topped with kale and pork belly. He also commended that cupim dish he had.
DISH – Mocotó
WHAT IS IT?
Slow-cooked cow’s foot with raw quail egg.
WHERE IS IT?
Nono
Av. Amazonas, 840 – Centro
Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil
NOTES
Nono is one of the few eating places in Minas Gerais that is open all night. Here, Anthony Bourdain had Mocotó, which he claimed as one of his favorites.
READ MORE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN SALVADOR : ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED ON A COOK’S TOUR
The Minas Gerais episode of Parts Unknown brilliantly highlighted Bourdain’s deep appreciation for robust, historically rooted peasant food. By showcasing the mastery of slow-cooked offal, rich bean stews, and humble bar snacks, he demonstrated that the most profound culinary experiences in Brazil are often found far away from the polished steakhouses of Rio or São Paulo. His genuine delight in dishes like Mocotó and perfectly braised turkey neck underscored his belief that the true essence of a culture is best understood through its traditional, everyday meals. The episode remains a vital guide to navigating the exceptional, unsung flavors of inland Brazil. When you visit Belo Horizonte, pull up a plastic chair at a local boteco, order a cold beer, and prepare for some of the best comfort food of your life.
