A bit of history
The word "quindim" has a complex meaning, as it comes from Bantu languages, translating as "the gestures, behaviors, and humor typical of teenage girls."
Now, the dish itself has a close connection with Brazil, where slaves from Africa— located in the northwest of the country during the 17th century— began to mix the coconut from the plantations where they worked with the sugar they found there.
Interestingly, Oxum, the goddess of Batuque in Afro-Brazilian religion from Rio Grande do Sul, has Quindim as her sacred food, which reaffirms the connections with Brazil.
The dispute with Portugal
In Portugal, there are a number of famous typical sweets, such as the popular "angel's divinity" or in its original language, "papo de anjo." Likewise, the Portuguese claim that the origin of Quindim took place in their lands; they say that in a convent in the city of Leiria, nuns used egg whites to stiffen their uniforms, leaving many yolks behind. Therefore, they looked for a solution not to waste them, creating a dish that contained all these yolks.
But the strongest evidence is the recipe for "Brisa do Lis," a Portuguese dish very similar to Quindim, differing only in that Brisa do Lis replaces grated coconut with ground almonds.
All this has led to a compromise: part of Quindim's origin is in Portugal, specifically its beginning, but it migrated to Brazil where it was fully developed, adopting its name and distinctive ingredient.
