Credit: Photo By John Anderson

Ana Brasil

7817 Rockwood #101, 697-9863

Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm

www.anabrasil.com

A cute and well-appointed boutique in a newer shopping center near Northcross Mall, Ana Brasil feels like a small Brazilian outpost in North Austin. Sultry samba sounds welcome you as you enter, and the smell of fresh coffee permeates the air. The clean and well-organized space is colorful and inviting, and the staff is warm and friendly. Everything at the store is either imported directly from Brazil or made by Brazilians who live in Texas and the U.S. Here one can find everything from gourmet coffee to clothing, soccer jerseys, bikinis, interesting jewelry and accessories, music CDs, bath and body products, and perhaps the best selection of Brazilian food products in town. Homesick Brazilians will recognize many popular candies, cookies, beverages, and other dry goods. Adventurous cooks can find most of the ingredients necessary to prepare traditional fare or just to try something new and different.

After visiting Brazil, I became familiar with many of their dishes and food products, and the shelves at Ana Brasil brought back memories of the little supermarkets I visited in Bahia. Now I can get guava jelly, acaí juice (the latest rage these days, thanks to its huge amounts of antioxidants), and a variety of vacuum-packed coffees without traveling thousands of miles. Ana Brasil also carries fresh dairy products such as queijo Mineiro, a unique melting cheese from the state of Minas Gerais; coconut water and coconut milk; and carne seca, sun-dried beef used in many Brazilian dishes. The freezer is stocked with packages of frozen pão de queijo and homemade empadinhas, ready to bake and serve; authentic Brazilian sausages such as linguiça and calabresa; and traditional barbecue meat cuts such as picanha. Many of the wonderful fruits I discovered in Bahia are available in frozen pulp form, perfect for making smoothies or ice creams. There’s also a jar of dolce de leite (equivalent to dulce de leche) mixed with guava paste that I’ll have to buy next time. Welcome to Austin, Ana Brasil!

This article appears in November 3 • 2006.

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Mexico City native Claudia Alarcón has made Austin home since 1984. She worked her way through college in the local restaurant industry, graduating from the University of Texas in 1999. She has been a Chronicle contributor for 15 years and presents lectures and workshops on topics related to the foodways of Mexico, both locally and internationally.