Rio Buns:The history of Pão de Queijo
Pão de Queijo means "Bread of Cheese" in the Portuguese language. Harvesting the yuca (manioc) root
In the 1600's, the slaves of Minas Gerais state produced manioc flour for their rich farmland owners. The slaves would harvest the yuca (manioc) root, peel and finely grate these then cover the grated roots in plenty of water and leave to soak in big wooden bo
wls (gamelas). After, the soaked roots would be washed and drained then spread outdoors to dry under the sun. Once dried, the manioc roots would be placed in big bags and stored thereby providing ample consumption throughout the year. At that time, slaves were not allowed to eat the manioc because it was only meant for the nobles. However, when the manioc roots were removed from the wooden bowls, a fine white powder known as manioc starch, would still be left behind. The slaves would scrape this manioc starch from the wooden bowls and make them into small balls which were then baked. These baked manioc starch balls became popular amongst the slaves. Many years later, when cattle farms became widespread in Brazil, slaves were able to gain access to milk and cheese. So they began adding the milk and cheese to the manioc starch. Eventually, slavery was abolished but the culture of making starched manioc cheese balls was maintained and became more widespread. Thus, Pão de Queijo (bread of cheese) became popular in Minas Gerais. Till today, visitors are traditionally treated to Pão de Queijo with a freshly brewed coffee while manioc flour is still largely used in Brazilian cuisine.
