Brazilian Pizza’s Street Food Roots

How Brazilian Pizza Took Over São Paulo Nights

When you think of pizza, Italy might spring to mind first—but hop across the Atlantic to Brazil, and you’ll find a pizza culture so vibrant, so indulgent, and so distinctly Brazilian that it’s rewriting the rulebook. Pizza is big in Brazil, coming in second after the U.S. in numbers of pizza eaters and over 1 million pizzas baked per day.

Nowhere is this more evident than in São Paulo, a sprawling metropolis where pizza isn’t just a meal—it’s a late-night ritual, a street-food phenomenon, and a culinary love letter to excess. With over 6,000 pizzerias lighting up the city and almost 600,000 pizzas eaten each day, São Paulo proudly claims its title as Brazil’s pizza capital. So how did this Italian import become a Brazilian obsession? Let’s slice into the story.

A Slice of History

Pizza arrived in Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, carried by Italian immigrants who poured into São Paulo seeking work in coffee plantations and factories. These newcomers brought their recipes for thin, wood-fired dough topped with tomatoes and cheese, but Brazil wasn’t content to leave it at that. Over decades, the dish evolved, blending Italian simplicity with Brazil’s flair for bold flavors and a knack for turning food into a party. By the mid-20th century, pizzerias were popping up across São Paulo, fueled by a growing middle class and a city that never sleeps. Today, Brazil rivals the U.S. in pizza consumption, and São Paulo is the beating heart of it all.

The Brazilian Twist: Catupiry and Chaos

What sets Brazilian pizza apart isn’t just its popularity—it’s the sheer creativity of the toppings and the star ingredient: catupiry. This creamy, tangy soft cheese, invented in Brazil in 1911, is a game-changer. Spread over the crust or stuffed into the edges (called pizza com borda recheada), catupiry adds a luscious richness that’s pure comfort food. One of the most beloved combos is pizza de frango com catupiry—shredded chicken layered with this velvety cheese, baked until it bubbles and browns. It’s Brazilian pizza at its finest!

Then there’s the pizza portuguesa, a chaotic masterpiece piled with ham, onions, black olives, boiled eggs, and sometimes a scattering of peas or corn—because why not? Brazilians don’t shy away from excess; they embrace it. You’ll find toppings ranging from hearts of palm to stroganoff (yes, the creamy beef dish, reimagined as a pizza sauce) to mashed potatoes. And just when you think it can’t get wilder, dessert pizzas steal the show—think chocolate with sprinkles, banana with cinnamon sugar, or even brigadeiro (a fudgy chocolate truffle topping). It’s a sugar rush that turns pizza into a full-night feast.

Late-Night Legends

In Sampa, pizza isn’t a dinner—it’s a lifestyle, especially after dark. The city’s pizzerias come alive as the sun sets, with locals flocking to bustling spots that stay open past midnight. It’s common to see groups of friends, families, or even post-party revelers crowding around tables, sharing massive pies served on metal trays. The vibe is casual and communal, often paired with a cold guaraná soda—a sweet, fizzy Brazilian staple made from the guaraná fruit—or a chopp (draft beer). Some pizzerias offer rodízio de pizza, an all-you-can-eat extravaganza where waiters roam with tray after tray of fresh slices, from savory to sweet, until you wave the white flag.

This late-night pizza culture ties into São Paulo’s identity as a 24/7 city. “Paulistanos don’t stop,” says local lore, and neither does their appetite. Whether it’s a quick slice grabbed from a street vendor or a marathon meal at a neon-lit pizzaria, pizza fuels the nightlife here like nowhere else.

A Street-Food Soul

While fancy pizzerias exist, Brazilian pizza’s soul lies in its street-food roots. Small, no-frills joints dot the city, their ovens glowing through open windows as the scent of baking dough wafts into the humid air. Street vendors sling portable slices or mini-pizzas, often wrapped in paper for on-the-go munching. It’s fast, affordable, and unpretentious—perfect for a city where energy and hustle never fade. Even the toppings reflect Brazil’s melting pot: Italian heritage meets Portuguese influences, African spices, and indigenous ingredients like guaraná or palm hearts, all thrown onto a single crust.

Brazilian Sensibilities Toward Pizza
Toppings on pizzas in Brazil are anything but boring. There’s a saying, “In Brazil, everything ends up in pizza!” And it couldn’t be more true. Here you’ll find the cream cheese-like catupiry, broccoli, pit-in olives, canned tuna, corn, chicken hearts, calabresa acebolada, toasted onions, and even beef Strognoff, quail eggs, bananas, and guava marmalade. A common side is ketchup, used as a dip for a slice of pizza or drizzled on top. Some Brazilians enjoy mustard and mayo too.

You can get your standard pizza here, but there are also some fun combinations that are extremely popular:

Muçarela: tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
Frango com catupiry: Tomato sauce, shredded chicken, cream cheese, oregano
Presunto: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and ham
Brocolis: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, bacon, broccoli, catupiry or cream cheese, oregano
Palmito: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and heart of palm
Portuguesa: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, Calabirian sausage, ham, onion, bell pepper, geen olives, hard-boiled eggs
Camarão: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and grilled shrimp
Atum: Tomato sauce, raw tuna, onions
Tomate Seco com Rúcula: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula
Quatro queijos: Four types of cheese, usually mozzarella, gorgonzola, Parmesan, and cream cheese

The crust on Brazilian pizza is very thin, with the edge of the crust often filled with cheddar cheese or a creamy Brazilian cheese called requeijão. Despite the thin crust, pizzas here tend to be more loaded up than in other parts of the world. Because of this, you’ll also find your pizza is sometimes served with a knife and fork. While using your hands to eat pizza is just fine, many prefer a cleaner eating method, especially when the pizza is small and hasn’t been cut.

Brazilians love of pizza extends to the popular all-you-can-eat style of dining. Rodízio de pizza lets you stay at your table while the pizza comes to you. The flavors and combinations are endless, with more taste concepts than you could ever imagine. Feel free to stuff yourself, but be sure to leave room for the huge variety of dessert and sweet pizzas that follow up.

And while it’s not a tradition per se, many families delight in having pizza on a Saturday or Sunday. This is in keeping with the celebration of pizza as not just a sustenance source, but as a social connection. When you realize that pizza is used to celebrate events, have fun with family and friends, and as a special treat, you understand better how important pizza is to Brazilian day-to-day culture.

Pizza as a Party

In Brazil, pizza is more than sustenance—it’s a celebration. July 10th marks Dia de Pizza (Pizza Day), a national holiday born in São Paulo, where pizzerias roll out special deals and families gather to indulge. It’s a testament to how deeply pizza has woven itself into the cultural fabric. Whether it’s a birthday, a soccer match watch party, or just a Tuesday night, pizza brings people together with its endless variety and shareable spirit.

Taste São Paulo in Every Bite

Brazilian pizza, especially in São Paulo, isn’t about sticking to tradition—it’s about breaking the mold and making it your own. From the gooey embrace of catupiry to the audacious pile-ons of a portuguesa, every slice is a loud, proud declaration of flavor. So next time you’re craving pizza, skip the pepperoni and imagine yourself in São Paulo’s neon glow—sipping guaraná, laughing with friends, and diving into a pie that’s as wild and unstoppable as the city itself.