Food - Drink
What Makes Brazilian Pão De Queijo Unique
By CYRENA GOURDEAU
What is Pão de Queijo?
Pão de queijo is a round gluten-free cheese bread with a soft chewy inside and crunchy exterior. The dish originated with Brazil's indigenous Guaraní people, who used the native yuca and cassava plants to make bread, and later enslaved people from Africa added cheese leftovers that were considered “unfit” for their masters.
A Nationwide Snack
During the early 1990s, Brazilian president Itamar Franco was so fond of pão de queijo that he mandated the bread be served at every single government meeting. As a result, national consumption of the snack grew significantly, and today it is a symbol of good hospitality and is served at celebratory life events.
Ingredients
Pão de queijo is commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack, and it is quick to make, relying only on cassava flour, milk, oil, eggs, salt, and cheese. Otherwise, you can easily find it in bakeries, shops, and restaurants in Brazil, and in the States, you can find premade Brazi Bites at some grocery stores.