Brazilian Beiju

Manioc tapioca crepes

We enjoyed these delicious snacks for the first time in the town of Lençois, a small town in Northern Brazil’s Chapada Diamantina National Park. Several cafes served beijus, and we would have them for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. One evening our friends Andres and Anna invited us over to cook with them. We made beijus with a variety of fillings, both savory and sweet. While Angela and I struggled to hold a conversation about politics in Portuguese, we took turns cooking and ate beijus hot off the pan. Our favorite filling was tomato and cheese. Here’s how we made them:

Ingredients:

½ c. cassava starch
Up to 1 c. water
8 oz. mild cheese such as mozzarella or Monterey jack, shredded
2 tomatoes, sliced into 8 slices
Salt

Directions:

Put the dried cassava starch to a mixing bowl. Add the water, a little at a time, and mix it fully before adding more. Continue adding water until the starch has formed separate pea-sized balls.

Push the starch through a sieve and onto a baking sheet. Let the granules dry on the sheet.

Put the dried tapioca granules in a bowl. Sprinkle them with water and toss. Repeat, adding a minimal amount of water – the granules should be barely sticking together.

Heat a non-stick pan, I use an omelet pan, over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the tapioca in a layer to completely cover the bottom of the pan. It should be about ¼ inch thick.

Cook for several minutes. Press the tapioca with a spatula and form the edges. When the tapioca has bound together, flip the crepe.

Sprinkle cheese and place tomatoes over half of the beiju. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the tomatoes.

Cover the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Uncover and use a spatula to fold the beiju in half to cover the tomatoes and cheese. Transfer to a tray in a warm oven or serve them as they come off the stove, like we did in Lençois.