untitled design

Pão de Queijo Day: the history, recipe and options of where to eat in SP

It’s a delicious gastronomic experience , but it could be sensory too. taste a cheese bread warm intoxicates the sense of smell, warms the touch, is a delight to the palate and, with all this, it would not be surprising to hear “hmmm” after tasting it.

Slightly crunchy, golden on top, soft on the inside, the delicacy it is present in the kitchen of restaurants and homes that value cozy food, with affective intentions.

In your celebration, let’s go celebrate the day that is only his , august 17 sharing some of your story which among many, tells us that he was born there in Minas Gerais, right?

The origin

“It is difficult to specify, especially when we look at a time when political lines were not like they are today. However, taking into account the wide presence of cassava (cheese bread is made, basically, from its derivatives and milk) throughout the national territory and the intense development of cheese culture in Minas from the 18th century onwards, imagine the delicacy popping up there doesn’t seem like a far-fetched theory to me. It is important to say that there are records of similar and old recipes in other South American countries, such as chipa”, he explains. Eduardo Tristao Girao journalist and gastronomic consultant specialized in cheese.

The food historian Carolina Figueira da Costa further endorses this story and confirms that the origin is, in fact, uncertain.

“To understand history, we can turn to books and cookbooks. Both cheese bread and cheese are considered heritages of Minas Gerais cuisine. But the symbolic and identity power in Minas Gerais is undeniable”, says

“What is also recognized historically is that some factors contributed to its success , such as the possibility of easy adaptation to time and tuning to contemporary dietary requirements and standards. It is only tradition because it continues to make sense in the present, not just in the past.”

The connection with Minas Gerais

The connection with the state of Minas Gerais has to do with the many ways of processing and using cassava, using the food in different recipes.

Girão says that an “ancestor” of the cheese bread would be the cassava gum biscuit “distinguished by the addition of Queijo Minas Artesanal or its grating (shavings from the cheese finishing process). Today it is a widely spread and appreciated recipe in Brazil, with similar preparations.”

the way of preparation

There are several ways to make the snack. There are those who use only sour flour, only sweet flour and there are those who mix the two ingredients. In addition, there are also those who fill the dough with cornmeal and even potatoes.

It is a recipe with multiple interpretations and in constant transformation.

Carolina sheds light on some data contained in the book “Receita de Mineiridade” by Monica Chaves Abdala , which shows us that some recipes from the north of Minas are different in terms of use: if they are intended for commerce or for consumption at home, sweet flour is used, resulting in smaller, more delicate buns. When the presentation is of interest, sour starch is used, the bread rises longer, yields more, and is more suitable for commercial purposes.

The ideal cheese for the recipe

“The most suitable and traditional is the Half-cured artisanal Minas cheese, All made in Minas Gerais with raw cow’s milk, pressed by hand and aged on a wooden shelf for approximately half the time needed for it to cure (between 7 and 11 days)”, says Girão.

Hence the name half-curing, that is, half the curing time of this type of cheese (set between 14 and 22 days). “It has enough firmness and flavor to perform well in the cheese bread recipe, without completely falling apart and adding a balanced flavor”, he adds.

Where to find delicious cheese breads in São Paulo

It would be unfair to write that they are the best in town, after all, there are many places that serve amazing recipes. But we list some that hooked us for their irresistible flavor.

There are options to taste them in the salon or take them frozen, ready to go in the oven at home. Celebrate the date in the best way: eating cheese bread, of course!

the baianeira

The restaurant the baianeira , commanded by Manuelle Ferraz, from Minas Gerais, has two units in São Paulo, one in Barra Funda and the other in the basement of MASP. With a recipe kept under lock and key, the pão de queijo is the flagship of the house and, in fact, deserves the fame it has.

Of those chunky ones, which when you bite it’s an explosion of flavor – and cheese – in your mouth, there are options for fillings like the zucchini vinaigrette. Our suggestion: start with this one and finish with the cheese bread stuffed with creamy guava paste.

Rua Dona Elisa, 117 – Barra Funda / São Paulo – SP or Avenida Paulista, 1578 – Bela Vista (museum basement) / Delivery via iFood

Haddock Lobo Cheese Bread

It’s in a small space in the heart of Jardins, which has been, since 1968, in one of the most famous spots in the city. From the oven, about 1,000 cheese breads come out a day. Light, made with a lot of flour and irregular in shape, the delicacies do not last long in the window.

No wonder it is the flagship of the house and fame took them to one of the main shopping malls in the city: now it is also possible to find them in Iguatemi.

If you fall in love, you can take the fresh dough to shape and bake at home, or the frozen version, already in balls.

Rua Haddock Lobo, 1408 or at Shopping Iguatemi / Tel: (11) 3088-3087 / Delivery via iFood, Rappi and James

Conceição Discos

THE Conceição Discos is a mix of vinyl shop, cafe, bar and restaurant run by chef Thalita Barros. There, a different dish is served each day, always having rice as the protagonist. Beers, drinks and teas can accompany your meal.

In addition to the main dishes, there is a special curatorship for smaller meals. Cake of the day, pies and, of course, the iconic cheese bread, which can come plain, or as a real sandwich.

Let’s explain: the delicacy, made from two types of cheese, one cured and the other fresh, is divided in two and filled with ham and a fried egg with soft yolk.

Vegetarians can be carefree: the house prepares the “snack” without ham too. Eat with a knife and fork so you don’t miss an ounce of the stuffing.

Rua Imaculada Conceição, 151, Vila Buarque / Own delivery via Tel. (11) 3477-4642

To forever have frozen at home:

Miss Celina

THE Miss Celina Artesanal is a small store in Morumbi that offers real gems. You can go for a coffee there and take the opportunity to taste their stuffed cheese breads, made with canasta cheese, organic eggs, parmesan and rustic flour.

The one with curd cheese or the one with canasta on the grill, handmade cured sausage and red onion relish are sensational! But don’t even think about leaving the store without a few packages of frozen treats. T

in the traditional option, but it is also possible to have the stuffed with guava in the freezer; handmade sausage; provolone; Nutella; milk cream; between others.

Rua Amelia Correa Fontes Guimarães, 20 – Jardim Guedala / Online shopping via website, Click here.

NUU

THE NUU born by the hands of Rafaela Gontijo from Minas Gerais, from a rescue of the affective memories of the food on the family farm. With a 100% sustainable factory in a regenerative industry model that is born carbon neutral, NUU has just won a very important UN award and became one of the 50 companies in the world to have the title “UN Best Small Business: Good For All ”.

Through a “Thought for Food” acceleration program, the house leads solutions to scale agroforestry in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais. The first result comes together with Embrapa and Emater in a project financed by the IDB (International Development Bank) to bring regenerative agriculture to their artisanal cheese producers.

The principle is to work side by side with nature, not against it. In other words, much more than having tasty cheese breads, free of preservatives and other additives, it has the immense value of being a family business that moves mountains to bring positive impacts to the ecosystem, from soil to plate.

Available for purchase in several markets, such as Casa Santa Luzia, Santa Maria, Emporium São Paulo, Natural da Terra, Quitanda, St Marche, Varanda, Instituto Chão, Fazenda Hortifruti, Congelados da Sogra, Defrost, Delicari, among others.



Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular