Putting some sort of meat and some sort of starch in a pot and letting the contents of that pot cook for a long time over a low flame is universal. Vaca atolada is a traditional Brazilian stew from the Minas Gerais region, which combines beef ribs, cassava, garlic, tomatoes, onions, and ground urucum seed, among other spices. After stewing for many hours, the sauce takes on an almost mud-like appearance, hence the name of the dish, which translates roughly to “cow stuck in the mud.” Wash it all down with some cachaça, Brazil’s most popular spirit, which is made with fermented sugarcane juice. Oasis Brazilian Restaurant features the stew as a special on Monday nights. Mark your calendars accordingly.

Oasis Brazilian Restaurant is open for indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.

Brazilian street food often means starchy, fried goodness. Acaraje with vatapa is just that, and it also illustrates how West African cuisine had a substantial influence on the development of food traditions in Brazil. Acaraje (known as akara in West African cuisines) is a fritter of mashed black eyed peas and onions, deep-fried and filled with vatapa, a paste made from coconut milk, shrimp, pao (Brazilian bread), palm oil, and peanuts. This stuffed fritter is traditionally served with a hot pepper sauce, so proceed with caution. Nibble Kitchen is an initiative in Somerville that highlights the community’s diverse culinary scene. On Thursdays, the kitchen features a menu of Brazilian food, and its take on acaraje with vatapa steals the show.

Nibble Kitchen is open for takeout.

Bobo de camarao is a popular dish from the Bahia region in northeastern Brazil. It epitomizes the sweet, creamy, seafood-focused cuisine of the area. Bahia is on the Atlantic coast, and the region contains plentiful coconut groves, hence the creamy, seafood-focused nature of its cuisine. During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Bahia was a center of sugarcane cultivation, and the region was complicit in the Atlantic slave trade. As such, its cuisine was and continues to be heavily influenced by West African cuisine. This Bahian favorite is made with cassava puree, onions, peppers, tomatoes, coconut milk, and palm oil, and has shrimp piled high on top at BR Takeout.

BR Takeout in Framingham is open for indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.

The brigadeiro (named for Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, whose 1946 presidential campaign sold the confections to raise money) is made by combining sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, and butter to create a sweet, chocolatey paste. Then, it is rolled into balls the size of truffles and coated with chocolate sprinkles. Padaria Brasil in Framingham is best known for its brigadeiro, thanks to a recipe that hasn’t changed in many years. The debate that many have when eating this fudgy delicacy is whether it should be eaten in one bite or two. Head to Padaria Brasil and decide for yourself. And if chocolate isn’t your thing, give Padaria Brasil’s beijinho, or “little kiss,” a try — it’s like the coconut version of a brigadeiro.

Padaria Brasil in Framingham is open for takeout and delivery.

Feijoada is often referred to as the national dish of Brazil, and it is especially popular in Rio de Janeiro. This stew is made with black beans, a variety of different cuts of pork or beef (ears, tail, feet, tongue, and various salted meats, like bacon, sausages, and jerky), vegetables, plantains, carrots, and cassava. Its makeup differs from region to region. At Sabor de Minas, the dish is best served with garlicky rice and a can of Guaraná Antarctica, a popular soft drink in Brazil.

Sabor de Minas Restaurant is open for indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.

Italy has arancini, and Brazil has coxinha. These deep fried fritters are filled with shredded chicken and requeijao, a kind of cheese that is both creamy and spreadable, and they resemble a teardrop. Pao Brasil makes its coxhina with cassava flour combined with chicken stock, which adds a savory element to the dough. The coxinha at Pao Brasil exemplifies everything a fried ball of dough filled with meat and cheese should be — it’s crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, with a meaty, cheesy core. Perfect. Also worth trying at Pao Brasil: the brigadeiro stuffed carrot cake.

Pao Brasil Bakery in is open for takeout.