Brazil, a simmering blend of samba, sand and sensational food has been further seasoned by the arrival of Japanese migrants about 100 years ago.

I've had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful country recently and can attest to its amazing sites (i.e. the breathtaking setting of Rio de Janeiro and the 260 waterfalls at Iguacu), the hospitable people and the varied and delicious food.

I love it when I can visit a place and blend in. I don't speak Portuguese but everywhere I went in Brazil, people assumed that I did. They thought I was Japanese or rather, a Brazilian Japanese.

Sao Paulo (a teeming metropolis of 20 million) has the world's largest Japanese community outside of Japan. The first 800 migrants arrived to work in coffee plantations and by the 1950s, more than 250,000 Japanese had moved to Sao Paulo. It now stands around 1.5 million.

That explains why, when I took the metro on our first day in Sao Paulo with my boyfriend, no one batted an eye.

While the Japanese have been in Brazil for awhile, interest in Japanese food didn't start until the 1980s, leading to an explosion in sushi restos. There are apparently more than 380 Japanese restaurants listed in Sao Paulo – this is the ground zero of Japanese cuisine in Brazil.

FOOD AS POETRY

Perhaps the most notable chef of all is Jun Sakamoto, who runs a place bearing his name in the west zone of the city. Sakamoto only serves about 30 customers a night and you eat whatever he puts in front of you.

The chef, in his 30s, is often at the city's Belle Epoque Mercado Municipal at the crack of dawn, peering at the catches of the day. If the fish doesn't meet his discerning standards, Sakamoto will simply shut down his restaurant that day rather than serve bad quality seafood.

"I gave up making money with my restaurant to treat gastronomy like art, like poetry," Sakamoto recently told TAM magazine.

The culinary impresario, the son of immigrants, says the "complete dedication to every stage of work" is fundamental to Japanese cuisine.

While I did not get a chance to sample Sakamoto's delicacies, a review in the Economist said the décor was all-white and staff were "equipped with secret-service-style ear-pieces" adding that it was best to let the staff suggest what to order, "as your reward will be varieties of unique sushi and delicious cooked dishes."

Naturally, the Japanese chefs in Brazil have added new tropical flourishes to the food – adding mango, different types of fish and even making duck sushi.

LITTLE JAPAN IN SAO PAULO

While there are quite a few places to eat in the Liberdade (Japanese) section of Sao Paulo, you'll find some divine Japanese restaurants all over the city.

Liberdade was originally where the Italian migrants settled but soon, the Japanese took over and now, there are migrants from Korea and China.

Get off at the Liberdade Metro stop and take a stroll down Rua Galvão Bueno. The streets are lined with pretty red lantern-type lamps. Great to soak in the atmosphere.

I was in the community during a Monday afternoon and it was rather quiet. Nice to observe all the Japanese faces around me, speaking Portuguese, and I happened upon an older man selling some round pieces of deep-fried something - endemic in all travels is the "deep-fried mystery ball."

In my awkward and touristy Portuguese, I asked him what he was selling and after a long explanation and my puzzled looks, he simply said "polvo" – octopus. Ah! Octopus balls – typical Japanese street food.

If you're flying by Sao Paulo, give both Liberdade and Japanese food a try. By the way, Jun Sakamoto is at 55 Rua Lisboa in the Pinheiros district.