Background: Oesophageal cancer presents high incidence rates in the so-called Brazilian-Uruguayan belt. Materials and Methods: The present study included 1,170 participants (234 cases and 936 controls) which were analyzed by unconditional multiple logistic regression in order to examine risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC) associated with several food groups. Results: Boiled red meat (OR 2.59, 95%CI 1.69-3.97), lamb meat (OR 1.64, 95%CI 1.07-2.51), processed meat (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.01-2.21), whole milk (OR 1.78, 1.19-1.68), fresh vegetables and fruits (OR 0.42, 95%CI 0.27-0.63), mate consumption (OR 2.04, 95%CI 1.32-3.16), and black tea (OR 0.10, 95%CI 0.04-0.28) were significantly associated with risk of OESCC. Conclusions: Hot beverages (mate) and hot foods (boiled meat) appear to be important determinants in the risk of OESCC, allowing the penetration of carcinogens in tobacco and alcohol into the oesophageal mucosa.