Rodízio

Rodízio is a style of restaurant service in Brazilian restaurants. In most areas of the world outside of Brazil, a rodízio restaurant refers to a Brazilian steakhouse. Rodízio style service is unique in that waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the customer's plate. This serving style is commonly found in many Churrascaria restaurants, particularly in Brazil.

History

The term rodízio is derived from the Portuguese word "rodar", which means to rotate. The concept originated in the early 19th century in the southern regions of Brazil, where gauchos (Brazilian cowboys) would prepare large pieces of meat and serve them in a rotating manner. This was done to ensure that everyone at the table received a portion of each type of meat.

Service Style

In a rodízio service, customers pay a fixed price, and the waiters bring samples of food to each customer at several times throughout the meal, until the customers signal that they have had enough. In many restaurants, the customers are provided with a colored card, red on one side and green on the other. The servers will not bring more meat if the card is turned to the red side.

The rodízio style is most popularly known for its service of various cuts of meat, including beef, pork, chicken, and sometimes exotic meats. However, it can also be used to serve a wide variety of foods, including pizza and sushi.

Variations

There are several variations of rodízio in Brazil, including:

• Rodízio de Pizza: Where various pizzas are served.
• Rodízio de Sushi: Where various sushi dishes are served.
• Rodízio de Churrasco: Where various grilled meats are served.

See Also

• Brazilian cuisine
• Churrascaria
• Brazilian steakhouse