Coxinha: the Brazilian snack that’s winning the states
It’s no secret that Brazilian cookery, with its rich and diverse flavors, has been capturing the hearts and palates of American consumers across the United States for quite some time. The appeal is easily understandable. In addition to the various health benefits of these tropical products, the delights of Brazilian gastronomy are as varied and unexpected as the people in this country. From nutritious staples to indulgent treats like the beloved “coxinha,” the culinary offerings reflect the vibrant and diverse essence of Brazil.
Here in this blog, we’ve talked a lot about acai, our business’ “flagship” and the product that gives our house its name. But there’s so many other flavors to discover in our kitchen and in Brazilian cookery! One of those is coxinha, the “stylized” chicken drumstick that’s probably the most well-known and POPULAR snack in Brazil.
What’s coxinha?
Originally, the Brazilian version of coxinha was served as a single (and large) chicken drumstick, bone and everything, wrapped with a fine dough – made with milk, butter, chicken broth and flour -, battered with breadcrumbs and fried.
While this ancient recipe it’s not the most common version of this delicacy in Brazil these days, you can still find it in some traditional restaurants like Confeitaria Colombo, in Rio de Janeiro.
Nowadays, coxinha it’s usually made with shredded chicken (not exclusively with meat from the thigh), seasoned with herbs and tomato paste and frequently stuffed with cream cheese. In Brazilian parties, like birthdays or weddings, there’s no buffet without coxinha, serving it in smaller portions as a finger-food. But there’s also the “whole-meal” version of the recipe, served with the size of a pear in almost every cafeteria in Brazil.
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How was coxinha invented?
Like with all traditional recipes, it’s hard to put your finger on when coxinha was exactly invented. The French chefs would say that the Brazilian delicacy it’s a version of a classic recipe, “croquette de poulet”, that dates back to (at least) 1844.
And it seems that we must give the French some credit on that one. In the classic gastronomic tome, “L’Art de La Cuisine Française”, chef Antonin Carême teaches a recipe of this “croquette”, advising the young cooks to “shape it like pears”. According to the Franco-Brazilian chef, Laurent Suaudeau, this recipe then traveled Europe and reached the Portuguese court, becoming very popular amongst the nobles.
There’s even a book from 1780, written by the French chef Lucas Rigaud – who commanded the kitchens of Maria I, Queen of Portugal – where you can read a recipe very similar to the Brazilian version of coxinha, making the French origin of the recipe quite believable.
But there’s another origin story, much more interesting and harder to believe.
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In her book “Stories and Recipes”, the writer Nadir Cavazin tells a story about a mysterious kid whom the Brazilian Imperial Crown KEPT hidden in the interior, at a farm called Blue Hill. The boy, Nadir gossips, was the REJECTED son of Princess Isabel, the heir to Brazilian throne.
Due to his birth illness, the boy demanded intense and constant care, hardly eating anything… except for chicken drumsticks.
Nadir continues telling that, one day, the farm’s cook found herself without enough chicken thighs to feed the kid. Fearing a scolding for her lack of planning, she decided to “deceive” the boy’s demanding taste. The cook then shredded the other parts of the chicken, that the young prince would usually reject, and reassembled it in the form of a chicken drumstick, wrapped with a dough of potato and flour. So, that’s the absurd version of this delicacy’s origin.
Either way, most researchers of Brazilian cookery agree that the modern version of coxinha was created around the 19th century, in the São Paulo region during the country’s Industrial Revolution, as a cheaper and more accessible snack to feed factory workers.
In other words, coxinha represents a lot of Brazilian culture: it’s popular, full with flavor, created by the mixture of various other cultures and – while it can always be comfortable -, it doesn’t lack a bit of mystery.
Are you curious about this snack? Discover this and other delicious foods at Vida Boa Açaí. Check our menu and come to a visit.