Ixta Belfrage and Fusao: Recipes Inspired by Brazil

Demo, Talk & Tastings

Bright, vibrant food inspired by Brazil, from the once-in-a-generation talent and bestselling chef behind MEZCLA, and the co-author of OTTOLENGHI Flavour.

“FUSÃO (fusion) is a deeply personal cookbook that celebrates the vibrant flavours of Brazil, my mother’s homeland. In this context, the word fusão reflects both my own mixed heritage and Brazilian cuisine, which fuses Indigenous, Portuguese and West African influences along with contributions from countless immigrant communities... It’s an invitation to explore, not through sweeping generalisations of a vast country, but through personal connections I’ve formed with some incredible people and places.”

Ixta Belfrage is one of the most exciting voices on the food scene. Her signature style is unique and creative, drawing on her upbringing where she absorbed the food traditions of Italy, Mexico and Brazil. Ixta cut her teeth at Ottolenghi NOPI, before playing a key part in Ottolenghi’s core food team and co-authoring OTTOLENGHI Flavour. In 2022, Ixta published

her debut solo book, MEZCLA, which was a Sunday Times bestseller. In her stunning new book,

FUSÃO, Ixta is focussing on the food and stories of her mother’s homeland, Brazil. FUSÃO (fusion in Portuguese) is Ixta’s proudly untraditional take on the kaleidoscopic food cultures of Brazil. She adopts an intimate approach, focusing on lesser-known places and people to bring a collection of recipes and stories that pay homage to this beautiful country, and acknowledge the influences on Brazil’s cuisine from indigenous communities, colonisation, enslavement, and immigration.

Complete with Ixta’s thoughtful notes on Brazil’s food, music, politics, landscapes and people, this special book is a considered, creative exploration of FUSÃO food culture. Take Moqueca,

a seafood stew from Brasil’s northeastern state of Bahia: Ixta reimagines this traditional

recipe as a Moqueca Fish Burger served with extra sauce for dipping and devouring. Or enjoy

Ixta’s spin on the decadence of the famed Brazilian Picanha (a large piece of rump cap) through Ixta’s spin which adds the wow factor with a stunning coffee and chilli butter spooned over a more accessible rump steak. Breathtaking photography from across the country, intertwined with personal stories and recipes sun-soaked and bursting with Ixta’s signature flair, this is food to excite and inspire, and a cookbook to treasure. An unmissable evening!