From fish soup to caipirinha, the culinary traditions of Rio de Janeiro come alive in this rich and sumptuous tour of its people and the foods they cook, eat, love, and enjoy. In the last four centuries of its history, the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro created a lifestyle that is unique and has been much admired since the very first travelers published their impressions in the sixteenth century. Indeed, this international hot spot welcomes approximately 1.8 million tourists every year who come to the city to visit, to work, to study, and to eat. It was and it is a place of cultural and artistic creativity, and it has largely kept concealed one of its most interesting cultural traits: its food. Rio de Janeiro: A Food Biography unveils the high quality and variety of Rio's fresh produce, the special dishes served in parties or at home, and the very traditional ones inherited from the immigrants who made the culture of the city as varied as its food. Starting with a history of the city and its native plants and animals, Marcia Zoladz offers a rich and sumptuous tour of the culture, the people, and the foods they cook, dine on, love, and enjoy. From fish soup to caipirinha, the culinary traditions come alive through an exploration of the festivals, the people, the places, and the hot-spots that continue to draw people from around the world to this world-class destination.