On National Cassava Day, discover restaurants in SP that celebrate the ingredient

Cassava is the popular accompaniment in São Paulo. At least, that’s what the menus of the country’s main snack competition, Comida di Buteco, demonstrate. The contest runs until May 5th and has 140 participants in the capital of São Paulo. Of these, 23 chose the root to appear on the plate. Not even potatoes, so popular in different forms of preparation, gained so much space — totaling just 18 recipes.

Cassava’s fame is not unjustified. Last year, Itamaraty announced its intention to make the tuber a symbol of Brazilian gastronomy internationally, in addition to using it as soft power. Currently, all states produce cassava, with emphasis on Pará and Paraná. There are more than 18 million tons annually.

There are countless ways to incorporate the root into a dish, as are the names it has in each region of the country. Cassava, cassava, cassava, maniva, uaipi and castelinha are some examples. This Monday (22), National Cassava Day is celebrated and to follow the rise of a typically Brazilian food, discover six restaurants and bars that prepare good dishes with the star of the season.

Macaxeira

Founded in 2015, in the east zone, the house pays homage to the Brazilian Northeast and the name refers to cassava, known as cassava in the region. With more than 10 locations, the menu includes many dishes made with the root, including termite atolado (R$ 74.90), which has pieces of meat cooked with cassava and pork ribs (R$ 119.90), marinated in cachaça, which accompanies cooked cassava. To drink, the tip is a cashew caipirinha with cachaça, clove lemon and honey (R$ 32.90).

Rua Emília Marengo, 185–Jd. Anália Franco. @macaxeirarestaurante

Pirajá

Inspired by Rio de Janeiro, it has even received the title of Rio heritage. On the menu, among feijoadas, minced meats and seafood, some options are made with cassava, such as the chicken portion (R$ 55), served with fried garlic, cassava and house-made farofa. In addition to the wild fruit moqueca (R$55), a vegan dish, served with banana and vegetable moqueca, rice, farofa and cassava chips. To wet your beak, the suggestions are one of caipirinha (between R$34 and R$50) or cho (between R$10 and R$19).

Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 64 – Pinheiros. @barpiraja

calf’s foot jelly
The traditional restaurant occupies 63rd position on the list of the best in Latin America by the 50 Best Restaurants ranking. Since 1973, typical Pernambuco recipes have been prepared on site, including the mocotó broth, which gave the house its name. Chef Rodrigo Oliveira runs the units — in the Vila Medeiros, Canindé and Vila Leopoldina neighborhoods, serving various dishes with cassava and its by-products. The most popular are the portions of tapioca dice (R$ 24.90 or R$ 36.90) and the baião de Dois, which comes with farofa d’água and cassava puree (prices vary depending on the unit).

Check out all the units on the restaurant’s website. @mocotorestaurante

Abaru
The Abaru by Priceless restaurant is located at the top of the Light shopping mall, in the Historic Center of São Paulo, and offers dishes prepared only with Brazilian ingredients, such as nata do sertão, seafood and cassava aligot. The latter comprises the angus fillet medallion (R$ 101), with leaf salad or fries. The place also offers cassava tortillas with pork belly (R$ 39), cassava croquette and marajó cheese with pepper jelly (R$ 46), as well as a romaine lettuce salad, Brazil nut hummus and cream sauce. mustard and cassava (R$ 46).

Rua Formosa, 157, Centro. Exclusive access through the basement of the Light shopping mall. @espacopriceless.

Mine Generation
Since 2017, the Geração de Minas restaurant has brought a bit of Minas Gerais culture to the south of São Paulo. For the first time competing in the Comida Di Buteco competition with the country bolino, the restaurant decided to keep the snack on the menu even after the competition. Made with cassava dough and stuffed with roasted pork ribs, provolone cheese and dedo-de-moça pepper (R$ 35), the snack will share the menu with one of the most requested dishes — named after the restaurant, served with Picanha, garlic, rice, tropeiro beans, cabbage and fried cassava.

Avenida Mascote, 1048, Vila Mascote. Tel. (11) 5565-1824

Beer from Alemão
Close to completing four decades of operation, the Chopp do Alemão bar is a well-known spot in the east zone of São Paulo. For Comida Di Buteco, this year, the choice was with items that already exist on the menu and were surprising in sales. The snack now has crab meat on a bed of cassava cream (R$ 35). To accompany it, the owner of the house suggests a Bico Doce cachaça. Two other options that use the tuber are the trem bom dish, with cassava and pumpkin cream, dried meat, pork rinds and cassava chips (R$ 45) and the matilde, a portion of 10 dumplings made with cassava dough and beef ribs. beef for stuffing (R$45).

Rua Doutor José Paulo, 103, Chácara Seis De Outubro. Tel. (11) 2651-2594. @choppdoalemao