Pan de Yuca

Pan De Yuca

Cheese buns, cheese breads, pão de queijo, chipá, or cuñapé, are a variety of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls, a popular snack and breakfast food in Bolivia, Brazil (specially in the state of Minas Gerais), Paraguay and northern Argentina. Its origin is uncertain; it is speculated that the recipe has existed since the eighteenth century in Minas Gerais (Brazil), but it became popular throughout the country after the 1950s. It's also widely eaten in northern Argentina. In countries where the snack is popular, it is inexpensive and often sold from streetside stands by vendors carrying a heat-preserving container. In Brazil, it's very commonly found in groceries, supermarkets and bakeries, industrialized and/or freshly made.

The original name is from Guarani chipa . It is also known as pão de queijo, 'cheese bread' in Portuguese, or chipa, chipacito or chipita and in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, the term cuñapé (Guarani) is often used. The pan de yuca in Ecuador and Colombia and pan de bono in Colombia are both very similar to chipa.

Cheese buns are distinctive not only because they are made of cassava or corn flour, but also because the inside is chewy and moist. Its size may range from 2 cm to 15 cm (1 to 6 inches) in diameter and approximately 5 cm (2 inches) in height. In Paraguay and Argentina, smaller chipá can also be found, as well as "mini pães de queijo" in Brazil. Also varieties of stuffed pães de queijo with catupiry, hot and melted goiabada, doce de leite and other variations can be found in Brazil.