Ask any Brazilian what sweet defines their childhood and the answer is almost always the same: brigadeiro, the condensed milk and chocolate truffle that turns up at every birthday party in the country. It's also a good entry point into a confectionery culture most of the UK has never really been introduced to.
The condensed milk sweet born from a presidential campaign
Brigadeiro's origin story is unusually specific for a national sweet. In the 1940s, supporters of Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, an air force officer running for the Brazilian presidency, sold a simple chocolate fudge made from condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter to raise campaign funds. Gomes lost the election, but the sweet named after his military rank became a permanent fixture of Brazilian life - rolled into balls, coated in chocolate sprinkles called granulado, and served at essentially every birthday party since.
Beyond brigadeiro: beijinho, pacoca and cocada
Brigadeiro has a coconut sibling, beijinho, or \"little kiss\" - the same condensed milk base without the cocoa, rolled in desiccated coconut and often topped with a single clove. Pacoca is a crumbly peanut sweet, pressed into small cylinders or bars, closer to a dense peanut fudge than anything crunchy, and traditionally associated with Brazil's Festa Junina harvest festivals. Cocada is a chewy coconut bar, sweetened and set until firm - simpler than brigadeiro but just as common at Brazilian street stalls and bakeries.
Brazil's chocolate bar brands
Away from homemade sweets, Brazil has its own chocolate bar culture built around a couple of major names. Garoto, now owned by Nestle, makes Diamante Negro, a dark chocolate bar with a soft filling that's one of the country's best-selling chocolates. Lacta, owned by Mondelez, makes Sonho de Valsa - \"waltz dream\" - a peanut and chocolate bonbon that's a Brazilian equivalent to the kind of individually wrapped chocolate treat found in sweet jars the world over.
If the fudgy, rich style of brigadeiro appeals, our sweet jars collection has plenty of UK favourites in a similar vein to explore.
Frequently asked questions
What is a brigadeiro?
A Brazilian chocolate truffle made from condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter, rolled into a ball and coated in chocolate sprinkles.
Why is it called a brigadeiro?
Named after Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, a 1940s presidential candidate whose supporters sold the sweet to fund his campaign.
What's the difference between a brigadeiro and a beijinho?
Same method, but beijinho uses coconut instead of cocoa and is rolled in desiccated coconut rather than chocolate sprinkles.