What to Eat in Bonito, Brazil: Regional Dishes and Ingredients

Bonito’s cooking is not a cuisine of its own; it is the cooking of Mato Grosso do Sul state served to people who arrive hungry after a day on the river. That means freshwater fish, beef, Paraguayan influence, Japanese heritage from the state capital Campo Grande, and fruits of the cerrado savanna in the desserts. This article explains each item and what kind of place to find it in. Where the restaurants are and how the hours work is in where to eat in Bonito.

River fish

This is the dish most associated with the region. The most common fish on menus:

• Pintado, a large spotted catfish with firm, white, boneless flesh, served roasted, baked on a clay tile, breaded or in broth (the Pantanal-style moqueca stew uses annatto).
• Pacu, a fattier fish, served as roasted ribs and in fried dishes.
• Traíra (wolf fish), stronger in flavor, traditionally served fried and, at some restaurants, deboned.

Availability varies with the season and the source. Some of the fish served is farmed, and river fishing is subject to rules and closed seasons. Do not count on a specific fish on a given day; ask what is available.

Where to find it: at the à la carte fish restaurants on the main avenue, almost always in dishes for two and in the town’s highest price band. Fish appears frequently at the buffets at the attractions, but without the same variety.

Sobá

Wheat noodles in hot broth, with pork or beef, sliced omelet and spring onion. It was brought to Campo Grande by immigrants from Okinawa and became a regional dish of the state, with its own fair in the capital. In Bonito, it is the quick dinner for anyone who does not want pizza.

Where to find it: at specialized sobá houses and at some Japanese and mixed restaurants in the center. Lower-middle price band.

Beef and Pantanal cooking

Bonito lies in cattle-ranching country, and that shows at the table:

• Churrasco, Brazilian barbecue, with beef cuts and, at some places, all-you-can-eat rodízio service.
• Arroz carreteiro, rice with dried or salted beef, a legacy of the crews that drove cattle across the Pantanal wetlands.
• Carne de sol (salt-cured beef), cassava and farofa (toasted cassava flour) as side dishes.
• Piranha broth, served at some places as a starter, more common in the Pantanal region than in Bonito itself.

Where to find it: at the churrascarias and steakhouses on the avenue; arroz carreteiro also appears at pay-by-weight buffets and at the buffets at the attractions.

Paraguayan influence

The border with Paraguay has left its mark on everyday food:

• Sopa paraguaia, which despite its name is solid: a kind of savory cake of corn, cheese and onion.
• Chipa, a cheese bread made with cassava starch, similar to pão de queijo, sold at bakeries, cafés and roadside stands.
• Tereré, iced yerba mate drunk from a horn cup or glass through a metal straw, present in any social gathering in the state. It is not a restaurant item, but it is the drink you will see everywhere.

Where to find it: sopa paraguaia and chipa at bakeries, cafés and as a side at pay-by-weight buffets; tereré, on the street.

Cerrado fruits: ice cream, sweets and liqueurs

This is the part most specific to the region and the one most worth trying:

• Bocaiuva, the fruit of a palm tree, with yellow, fibrous pulp. It goes into ice cream, farofa and sweets.
• Guavira (or guabiroba), a small, tart fruit harvested at the end of the year and considered the state’s emblematic fruit. It goes into ice cream, liqueur, jam and juice.
• Pequi, with a strong, distinctive flavor, more common in the neighboring state of Goiás but present in dishes and liqueurs of the region.
• Jatobá, with floury pulp, in sweets and flour.

Where to find them: at the ice cream shops on the avenue, which are part of the town’s evening routine, and at regional-products stores, for liqueurs, sweets and flours to take home.

Cachaça and drinks

The region produces artisanal cachaça, Brazil’s sugarcane spirit, sold at regional-products stores and served neat or in caipirinhas at bars and restaurants. There is also local craft beer at some bars. Juices made from cerrado fruits appear on menus, but they are not always made with fresh fruit; ask.

Lunch during the tours

Most of Bonito’s attractions have a restaurant or offer an optional lunch. The format is almost always a fixed-price buffet per person: rice, beans, salads, meat, sometimes fish and a simple dessert. At some attractions lunch is part of the ticket; at others it is booked separately, at the agency, together with the tour. Since you cannot always decide on the spot, ask the agency when booking each tour.

At the river beaches there are kiosks and snack bars, and many allow you to bring food. On half-day tours near town, the simplest option is to come back and have lunch at a pay-by-weight buffet in the center, which is the budget choice. Anyone watching their spending will find more tips in Bonito on a budget.

What to prioritize in a few days

If the trip is short, this is the minimum food itinerary: a river-fish dinner at a restaurant on the avenue, a sobá on a tired evening, bocaiuva or guavira ice cream after dinner, and a chipa at breakfast or on the road. Everything else is a bonus. The registered establishments are in restaurants in Bonito, and the region’s background is in about Bonito.