Chipa Mestizo

The cheese bread can be compared to Bolivia’s cuñapé and Brazil’s pão de queijo. There are many different varieties of chipa, over 70 types, and they come in all different shapes and sizes, but most are made from yucca, cheese, milk, and eggs. Chipa caburé is cooked like a kebab over an open fire while the chipa so'ó is stuffed and baked. Chipa mestizo blends the tapioca flour with cornmeal. 

“When you make chipa at home it’s something the whole family makes together," Ramiro explains. "It’s a festive food, it’s what you would eat on religious holidays, or at a wedding or birth. But you can also eat it every day, for breakfast or as a snack.”

There are many different techniques when making chipa. Ramiro says although many people first start with the dry ingredients, he likes to start with the liquids, first mixing the butter, eggs and milk.

In a separate bowl, Ramiro mixes the dry ingredients: manioc starch, salt, cornmeal, and baking powder. He slowly begins to combine one-third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing it with his hands. 

Ramiro mixes all the ingredients with his hand until they are incorporated together. 

Ramiro adds the cheese. He recommends adding a hard and semi-hard cheese, which will give the bread the right consistency. 

Ramiro adds the rest of the dry ingredients and mixes well with his hand. 

"It's important not to knead the dough, instead you need to mix it with your hands."

The dough’s texture should be malleable and able to shape in different forms.  

Ramiro shapes the dough and places it on a greased baking sheet. Chipa can come in many shapes. It can be round with a hole in the middle, which is generally sold on the streets, or in tiny bun-like bread form which is made at home or sold in bakeries.

Ramiro explains that in Misiones, in the jungle, they respect the land, so it’s common to see chipa in the shape of different animals, like yacaré, which is in the crocodile family.

Ramiro bakes the chipa in an horno de barro, a clay oven, until it is golden brown. When using a regular oven, it should be baked at 180-200°C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Chipa is always best when eaten hot out of the oven. The best part is pulling the warm bread open and watching the cheese stretch. Ramiro’s company, Chipeando Ando, delivers premade chipa for clients to bake at home.