The Famous Brazilian Cheese Bread: Pão de queijo
blog, food (November 29, 2008)
Brazil is hungry for the ball! But I’m not talking about Brazilian football (soccer). I’m talking about another national passion, known as pão de queijo, or the cheese ball. This tasty morsel is a cheesy bread ball made with cheese, eggs, oil, salt, and manioc flour. The best are said to come from the Minas Gerais Region, where the fabulous finger food originated from a happy accident. In the 18th century, the wheat flour from Portugal was so bad that the people of the area substituted manioc flour and Brazilian food was born.
You can find pão de queijo in the simplest of snack stands as well as the fanciest cafes throughout Brazil…from the interior states to the coastal cities of São Paulo and Rio, not to mention the beaches of the Northeast Region. If you find yourself in the state of Minas Gerais, you’ll have the opportunity to taste the original, authentic pão de queijo in various sizes and styles.
The little cheese morsel is often served for breakfast in the cafes and bakeries of Brazil, but is also found on dinner menus, in bars. in nightclubs and in festival booths year ‘round. They are excellent with coffee in the morning or a cold beer in the evening.
