Pão de queijo

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pão de queijo
TypeBread
CourseBreakfast or snack
Place of originBrazil
Region or stateMinas Gerais
Main ingredientsTapioca starch, cheese (usually Minas cheese)
Similar dishesGougère, Chipa
Pão de queijo

Pão de queijo (Portuguese: Cheese bread) is a type of small roll filled with cheese. It came from the Brazillian state of Minas Gerais.[1] It is popular in Brazil as a breakfast or snack food.

History[change | change source]

Pão de queijo originally came from the Guaraní people. They used the local growing cassava root to make bread. Later, the salty Minas cheese, milk, and egg were added to enrich the dough.[2]

Preparation[change | change source]

The dough is rolled into small balls, about 3–5 centimeters in diameter. Unlike other breads, the dough does not have any leavening agent to make it rise. There can also be other foods mixed into the cheese filling.

Availability[change | change source]

Brazil[change | change source]

Casa do Pão de Queijo at the Afonso Pena International Airport, in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil.

In Brazil, pão de queijo is a popular breakfast dish and snack. It is still sold at snack bars and bakeries and it can also be bought frozen to bake at home. In Brazil, cheese puff mix packages are easily found in most supermarkets.

United States[change | change source]

With its growing popularity in the US, frozen packages of pão de queijo can now be found in some American grocery stores such as Costco, County Market, Publix, and Whole Foods. It is also on the menu of most Brazilian steakhouse restaurants.

References[change | change source]

  1. "History of Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)". chebe. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  2. "Pão de queijo is the history of Brazil in a moreish cheese snack". the Guardian. 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2021-05-24.