How to Ask How a Brazilian Dish Is Made in Portuguese
Use a few friendly questions to learn what goes into a dish, how it is prepared, and which part makes the recipe special.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
A direct and friendly opener is Como você prepara…? (How do you prepare…?). You can also ask Como esse prato é feito? (How is this dish made?). The demonstrative esse points to the dish you are discussing.
Open with a question about the dish
If you want to know its main ingredients, ask O que vai nesse prato? In this context, vai means ‘goes into’ or ‘is included in.’ It is an everyday way to ask what a recipe contains.
Como você prepara essa moqueca?
How do you make this moqueca?
O que vai nesse prato?
What goes into this dish?
Ask about one ingredient or preparation step
Use leva to ask what a recipe calls for: Leva leite? (Does it have milk?). For a specific cooking method, ask Você cozinha o feijão antes? (Do you cook the beans first?). A short follow-up keeps the conversation easy to follow.
Recipe names and methods can vary between families and regions. Ask how this person makes the dish rather than treating one household’s version as the only authentic recipe.
Leva coentro ou salsinha?
Does it have cilantro or parsley?
Você acrescenta o leite de coco no começo ou no final?
Do you add the coconut milk at the beginning or at the end?
Invite a small explanation
If you would like to learn, say Você pode me mostrar como faz? (Can you show me how you make it?). The subject can remain unstated after pode; the question is addressed to você.
Thank the cook and mention one detail you learned. That turns a recipe conversation into useful practice with food vocabulary, present-tense verbs, and follow-up questions.
Obrigado por explicar. Vou tentar fazer em casa.
Thanks for explaining. I’ll try to make it at home. (speaker: man)
Adorei saber como a sua família prepara esse prato.
I loved learning how your family makes this dish.
Put it into practice
Ask about the dish, its ingredients, and one preparation step. Frame your questions around the cook’s version and invite them to explain more.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I loved learning how your family makes this dish”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.