Brazil was settled by the Portuguese.
Except for short periods when foreigners occupied parts of the country (the French occupied Rio de Janeiro from 1555 to 1560; the Dutch occupied Olinda and Recife from 1630 to 1654), the Portuguese were the only Europeans to settle in Brazil until the Independence, in 1822.
The Portuguese brought as much as possible of their culinary to Brazil, but they also had to adapt to the local conditions; for example, it was easy to introduce the use of potatoes and sugar in the Brazilian-Portuguese cuisine, but the consumption of codfish, one of the most popular ingredients in Portugal, had to be replaced by the local fishes.
The Portuguese brought many black slaves from Africa, who also brought many new ingredients and condiments to the Brazilian habits; most of such ingredients have been incorporated to Brazilian recipes ages ago, and are not considered international (read more about Brazilian food and regional food).
In 1888, slavery was abolished in Brazil. To attract work force to replace the slaves, since the mid 19th century the Brazilian Government had been inviting foreigner people to immigrate to Brazil.
Italians and Germans came first, most of them went to São Paulo and the southern States (there is still an Italian village in São Paulo, the Bexiga, and German cities in Santa Catarina, like Blumenau). The Japanese started to come in the beginning of the 20th century. A smaller number of Americans, Azorians, Dutch, Swiss and other nationalities also came to Brazil.
By the middle of the 20th century, Brazil already had a multi-cultural cuisine. Along the century, the trend continued: South Americans from neighbour countries came to live in Brazil; people from Arabic countries affected by wars also came; late in the century, Chinese and Koreans started to come in large numbers.
With the internationalization of business in the 21st century, people of all nationalities came to Brazil. With the growing of tourism, travellers from all countries visit Brazil. Many visitors decide to stay forever, and several decide to start a restaurant.
The major Brazilian cities today have a good number of international restaurants. Fortaleza is no exception; the number of restaurants grows everyday, and so does the variety of meal and the quality of services. Check out the list at the top of the page.