Paçoca () is a brazilian

candy Candy, alternatively called sweets or lollies, is a Confectionery, confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, also called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum ...

typical from

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

cuisine, originating in the

interior of São Paulo The interior of São Paulo is an informal term to describe the zone that covers the entire area of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo outside the Greater São Paulo, Metropolitan Region and the coast of São Paulo. The interior stands ou ...

. It is made out of ground

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

and

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

. Some recipes also add flour, such as corn flour, oat flour or cassava flour. Typical of the São Paulo Caipira cuisine, it is also present in other states in the country, such as

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

and Paraná, being either manufactured or home-made. Paçoca is also very common during the Festa Junina, an annual festivity that celebrates the caipira lifestyle in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It is known for its distinct dry texture and sweet taste, and is one of the most beloved Brazilian candies.Abicab, Brazilian industry association of chocolates, cocoa, peanuts, candies and derivatives
(in Portuguese). The state of São Paulo is the largest producer of peanuts in Brazil, while the Santa Helena Group, created in 1942 in the city of Ribeirão Preto, is responsible for the production of Paçoquita, the most consumed paçoca in the country. It is made in a cork or rectangular shape. The group has also launched, in recent years, the creamy version and other versions, such as Paçoquita Diet.

Origins

Paçoca in its present form was invented during the Colonial Brazil Period, but Native Brazilian peoples had recipes that mixed cassava flour with other ingredients prior to colonization. Those recipes were modified by the settlers, creating the current combination that uses sugar.

Etymology

The word "paçoca" comes from the Tupi word ''pa'soka'' which means ''crumble''. The term is also used for the savoury dish by the same name. Both are a mix of

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

flour pounded together with other ingredients – peanuts and sugar in the case of the sweet, and carne-de-sol (''sun-dried-beef'') for the savoury dish.

Production

The traditional artisanal process of making paçoca involves first roasting the peanuts, then grinding all the ingredients together using a traditional mortar (''pilão'').Get to know a paçoca factory
(in Portuguese). In more modern manufacturing techniques, instead of a mortar, industrial blenders are used, and the Paçocas are later pressed into many shapes, most commonly square or cork shapes.

Variations

Some companies have created variations from the traditional Paçoca recipe, which include a diet version, with no sugar added, and a version with a concentration of peanuts.

References

Brazilian confectionery Candy Indigenous cuisine of the Americas Peanut dishes {{Brazil-cuisine-stub

Origins

Etymology

Production

Variations

See also

References