Pastéis

A pastel (pl. pastéis), also known in Portuguese as pastel paulista (plural: pastéis paulistas) or pastel de feira (plural: pastéis de feira), is a typical Brazilian fast-food dish, originating in the state of São Paulo, consisting of half-circle or rectangle-shaped thin crust turnover with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil. The result is a crispy, brownish fried pie. The most common fillings are ground meat, mozzarella, Catupiry, heart of palm, codfish, cream cheese, chicken and small shrimp. Pastéis with sweet fillings such as guava paste with Minas cheese, banana and chocolate also exist. The pastel is classified in Brazilian cuisine as a salgado (savoury snack). It is traditionally sold on the streets, in open-air marketplaces, or in fast-food shops known as pastelarias.