History of the food
The first version takes us back to the 18th century, in Minas Gerais. Where it is said that at that time, wheat flour was basically useless, as despite being brought by the Portuguese, it was not used; instead, they used Yuca flour.
And one fine day, some inhabitants cooking for their masters decided to add eggs, milk, and a bit of cheese to the yuca flour, formed the mixture into balls, and voila! They got cheese bread.
Another version does not specify an exact location but references the era of slavery. During that time, it is said that due to significant cultural and gastronomic clashes, many dishes emerged from it.
Historians affirm that Brazilian cheese bread originates from this culinary blend, imagining a hypothetical scene where enslaved cooks combined yuca — which was the main local ingredient of the indigenous people — with eggs, milk, and a bit of cheese brought from the Old World, thus giving birth to the famous bread.
Adding that initially, it did not achieve great success, and it was not until the 1950s that its consumption and popularity surged to the form it has today.
Additional facts
While it is true that the so-called "cheese bread" is a very well-known dish in Brazilian cuisine, it is not exclusive to Brazil; it is also enjoyed in other South American countries. Although not immensely popular at first, it now enjoys a good reputation.
Although traditionally made with flour, eggs, cheese, and milk— which is the common recipe for pão de queijo— this bread has various variants.
For example, in Paraguay, there is "chipa," which many claim to be closely related because they are very similar. Meanwhile, in Colombia, "pan de bono" is prepared with similar ingredients but using its own technique.
