Arroz com pequi

Arroz com pequi is a rice dish of Brazil's Cerrado, especially associated with Goiás and neighbouring central regions. This profile follows a public agricultural-extension recipe in which whole pequi is cooked with rice, garlic and onion, with fresh herbs and chilli left as optional finishes.

Pequi gives the rice its distinctive intense aroma and a rich, slightly sweet fruitiness. Garlic and onion provide a savoury base, while optional chilli and herbs can add heat and freshness without changing the core pequi-and-rice identity.

The cooked rice is loose and yellow-gold, with whole round pequi fruits distributed through the grains. The fruit's soft outer pulp looks glossy against the rice, while optional parsley and spring onion add small green flecks.