Present in almost the entire national territory, the drumstick which is the queen of greenhouses in cafeterias and bakeries, has an uncertain origin.
The first reference to something similar to our coxinha appears in the book by French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, known as the “king of chefs and chef of kings”. The 1844 publication speaks of the poulet croquette one pear-shaped chicken croquette .
There are also some other theories about the emergence of the delicacy already in Brazilian lands.
Coxinha theories in Brazil
Researcher Câmara Cascudo, in his work “Antologia da Alimentação no Brasil”, argues that coxinha emerged in the 19th century, in the Greater São Paulo region, during industrialization.
It would have been created to be sold as a cheaper and more durable substitute for the traditional chicken legs that were sold at factory doors.
The most interesting, but unconvincing, theory is that coxinha was created in Limeira, also in the 19th century. Legend has it that the imperial nobility hid a boy at Fazenda Morro Azul. He would be the son of Princess Isabel, heir to the Empire of Brazil, and the Count d’Eu, and would be kept away from the court because he had an intellectual disability.
This child would be very “boring” to eat, and would only eat chicken legs. One day, not having enough chicken legs for the boy, the farm’s cook decided to transform an entire chicken into thighs. She prepared a potato dough, shredded the chicken and recreated a chicken drumstick. The princess’s son loved the delicacy and started asking just for the “chicken drumstick”.
The dish became famous and even Empress Teresa Cristina would have gone to Limeira to try the savory dish loved by her grandson. She liked it so much that she requested that the recipe be provided to the master of the imperial kitchen, in Rio de Janeiro.
In the 1970s, in Belo Horizonte, creamy curd filling was incorporated into the savory dish, forming the current version of our typical street food.
Whether in Limeira, Rio or Belo Horizonte, the fact is that delicious coxinhas can also be found in establishments throughout the capital of Paraná.
Below, I list five places to try excellent coxinhas in Curitiba.
Snack bar at Carmo Terminal
The coxinha from the small bus terminal snack bar, which is over 30 years old, became famous after win a poll carried out by Urbanização de Curitiba (Urbs), being chosen, at the beginning of 2023, as the best salty snack in the capital’s terminals.
Because it is in high demand, it is fried all the time, without remaining in the oven for long, ensuring it is always hot and crispy on the outside. It has a soft dough, a good proportion between dough and filling, a moist and well-seasoned filling and a lot of cream cheese separated from the filling. It’s big, almost a meal.
It is not necessary to enter the terminal to try the coxinha, as there is an entrance from the outside. It costs R$7.
Carmo Terminal Snack Bar: Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto, 8430 – Boqueirão, Curitiba – PR / Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 5am to 10:30pm; Saturdays and Sundays, from 5am to 9pm.
Bee.O Café
The cafe, opened a few months ago, has a drumstick breaded in panko flour, very tasty potato dough and a creamy chicken filling, with the cream cheese separated from the filling. It has more filling than dough.
It’s a little smaller than the traditional size, which allows us to try some more deliciousness on the menu. It costs R$11.
Bee.O Café: Rua Jacarezinho, 636 – Mercês, Curitiba – PR / Tel.: (41) 3023-4808 (Whatsapp) / Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 11am to 7pm; Saturday, from 10am to 4pm / Accepts orders.
Chris’s Coxinha
Self-titled as “the best coxinha in the galaxies”, it only contains milk, potatoes, butter, premium flour, chicken breast, Italian sauce, homemade seasoning and panko flour. The dough contains 80% potatoes, and production is entirely artisanal, daily and limited. The cottage cheese is mixed with the filling. They are very crunchy because they are breaded in panko flour.
As they are fried shortly before the scheduled pick-up time, they are always hot. They come individually wrapped in charming colored candy-shaped paper. The 75 g one costs R$ 9 and the 150 g one costs R$ 17.
Chris’s Coxinha: only upon order by WhatsApp link.
Guarani Bakery
The traditional bakery in Curitiba makes a coxinha in a slightly larger size than the party size, but much smaller than the traditional size, great for devouring by the dozen. It is very well seasoned, with soft pasta and plenty of chicken. It costs R$2.75.
Guarani Bakery: Rua Chichorro Júnior, 442 – Cabral, Curitiba – PR / Tel.: (41) 3057-0733 / Opening hours: every day, from 7am to 9:30pm / Accepts orders.
Jauense Bakery and Confectionery
Slightly smaller in size, the coxinha from Jauense do Água Verde has a tasty dough, a slightly drier filling, but full of very creamy curd cheese, separated from the filling. Because it has a lot of outlet, it is always warm and crispy. It costs R$9.70.
Jauense Bakery and Confectionery: Rua Dom Pedro I, 433 – Água Verde, Curitiba – PR / Tel.: (41) 3027-1220; WhatsApp: (41) 9644-9035 / Open from Monday to Friday, from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday and holidays, from 7am to 9:30pm / Accepts orders.
*The texts published by Insiders and Columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinion of CNN Viagem & Gastronomia.
About Caroline Grimm
Curitiba native, doctor by training and gastronome at heart, Caroline Grimm is also a content creator and accumulates thousands of followers on social media. As she describes it, she lives to cook, eat, drink and travel – not necessarily in that order, but always in search of the best experiences.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
