Paçoca de amendoim
 | |
| Place of origin | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Region or state | São Paulo |
| Main ingredients | Ground peanuts, sugar |
Paçoca de amendoin (Portuguese: [paˈsɔka]) is a brazilian candy typical from São Paulo cuisine, originating in the interior of São Paulo.[1] It is made out of ground peanuts, sugar, honey and salt. Some recipes also add flour, such as corn flour, oat flour or cassava flour. Typical of the São Paulo Caipira cuisine,[2] it is also present in other states of the country, 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,[3] in addition to being a tradition during Lent and religious festivals in the cities of the Paraíba Valley, such as the artisanal paçoca from Paraibuna.[2] It is known for its distinct dry texture and sweet taste, and is one of the most beloved Brazilian candies.[4][5]
The state of São Paulo is the largest producer of peanuts in Brazil,[6] 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.[7][8] It is made in a cork or rectangular shape.[9] The group has also launched, in recent years, the creamy version and other versions, such as Paçoquita Diet.[10]
Origins
Savory paçoca was invented earlier during the period of Colonial Brazil Period, and the Native Brazilian peoples had recipes that mixed cassava flour with other ingredients such as meat.[4] Thus, at that time and in subsequent periods, savory paçoca was considered a meal. With the arrival of the Portuguese and the beginning of the exploration of lands, such as Entradas and Bandeiras, who departed from the captaincy of São Paulo, capturing Indigenous people to work in gold mines and labor, paçoca became popular as a viable and nutritious alternative for prospectors, who took almost a month to reach the banks of the Tibagi River in Paraná.[11][12]
Over time, these recipes were modified by people from the interior of São Paulo, who combined them with peanuts, sugar, and salt, giving rise to peanut paçoca, which, until the 1980s, was called peanut candy.[7]
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 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).[13] 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.[13]
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See also
References
- ^ "Festa Junina: Conheça a história por trás de 5 comidas típicas que não podem faltar". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b "Preparação e consumo da paçoca é tradição na quaresma em Paraibuna". Vale do Paraíba e Região (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ Rangel, Lúcia Helena Vitalli (2008-05-05). Festas Juninas Festas De são João: Origens, Tradições E História (in Brazilian Portuguese). Publishing Solutions. ISBN 978-85-61653-00-2.
- ^ a b Abicab, Brazilian industry association of chocolates, cocoa, peanuts, candies and derivatives Archived 2020-10-04 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese).
- ^ Amaral, A. O dialeto caipira (pdf). p. 139.
- ^ "Estrela do fitness, amendoim renasce no agro e triplica produção nacional em dez anos". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b "História do Amendoim". graosuniao.lwsite.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "A Santa Helena, fabricante da Paçoquita e outras tantas delícias, completa 75 anos de história". Especial Publicitário - Santa Helena (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Conheça uma fábrica de paçoca, o doce típico das festas juninas" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Os bastidores da produção da Paçoquita Cremosa". Exame (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "A origem da paçoca não tem nada de doce". Mega Curioso (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ^ "Famosa na Festa Junina, paçoca de amendoim já foi prato principal; entenda". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ^ a b Get to know a paçoca factory (in Portuguese).
