Pão de queijo

Pão de queijo(Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈpɐ̃wdʒiˈke(j)ʒu], "cheese bread" in Portuguese) orBrazilian cheese ballsis a small, baked cheese roll orcheese ball, a popular snack and breakfast food inBrazil. 
It is a traditional Brazilian recipe, originating in the state ofMinas Gerais.
In Brazil, it is inexpensive and often sold fromstreetside standsby vendors carrying a heat-preserving container. It is also commonly found in groceries, supermarkets and bakeries, industrialized or freshly made. The cassava flour is what gives the snack its distinct texture, which is chewy and elastic, being crunchy on the outside.
Most countries in South America have their own versions of this snack; the main difference between them in general is the ingredients used in the recipe, which can change slightly giving different results. In Brazil traditionally both sour and sweet cassava flour are used; the Brazilian recipe also excludes some ingredients used in other countries such ascorn starch, all-purposeflour,black pepper,sugar,fennel, andbaker's yeast.
With the discovery of mines nearOuro Pretoin around 1700, some 20% of the Brazilian population at that time, mainly slaves, occupied a vast territory in southeast Brazil. Since wheat was not available, local cooks created a kind of bread from starch derived from the cassava tubes shown to them byTupiniquinsindigenous groups. In the late 19th century, grated hard cheese was added.
In Brazil the most traditional recipe uses both sweet and sour cassava flour, oil, eggs, milk, salt, cheese (Minas, Canastra, Parmesan), and water. Small amounts ofmargarineorbuttercan also be included.
The fat in the recipe acts as a molecular lubricant. Theegggives colour and flavour to the recipe,contributing to the elastic texture of the dough.
The type of cheese varies according to preference or availability. The most used aremozzarella,parmesan, andminasorcanastra cheese(either in its "ripened" or "standard" version).The cheese gives the typical flavor of the cheese bread, hence its name.
There is also the boiled cheese bread with a preparation technique that requires boiling water while preparing, sometimes mixed with vegetable oil in flour. The boiled cheese bread has the closest taste of natural, as in the boiling process thedoughis pre-cooked.
Some recipes usepotato.
Pães de queijo are formed into small balls, around 3–5 centimeters in diameter (though they may be larger) and about 50 calories in each roll. The cassava flour is a powerful starch which is key to the texture of the pão de queijo; unlike other types of bread, pão de queijo is notleavened. Small pockets of air within the dough expand during baking and are contained by theelasticityof the starch paste. Because it is made of cassava flour (as opposed to wheat flour), pão de queijo contains no gluten. Varieties of stuffed pães de queijo withcatupiry, hot and meltedgoiabada,doce de leiteand other variations can be found in Brazil.
In Brazil,pão de queijois a popular breakfast dish and snack. It continues to be widely sold atsnack barsand bakeries, and it can also be bought frozen to bake at home. In Brazil, cheese puff mix packages are easily found in most supermarkets.
Often referred to ascuñapés,chipá,pandebono,pan de yucaorpan de quesoinHispanic America, cassava flour and cheese balls similar topão de queijocan be found in northern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Pão de queijoarrived inJapanwith thedekasegi.Often compared tomochi, it is usually made with rice flour instead of the cassava (tapioca) starch. It also inspired the popular donut chainMister Donutin its creation ofPon de Ring, which has since popularized the concept of “mochi donut.”
Pão de queijois also commercially available in Australia and the United States, in part due to its popularity in thegluten-freemovement.