Pao de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread in San Francisco
If you live in San Francisco, you might know about the Street Food Festival there. Brazilian cheese breads, (pão de queijo), made by Cristina Arantes (pictured) are extremely popular that time of year. The baker is going into overdrive preparing the little cheese-filled buns for the occasion.
Cristina "Kika" Arantes instructs me to hold my nose as I repeat after her: "pao de queijo." The nasel tone of the Portuguese word for Brazilian cheese bread may be difficult for Americans to master, but the love for this Brazilian snack is easy to acquire. It looks like a small bread roll, but break the dough and cheesy deliciousness oozes out.
I only went back for seconds of two things at the media preview of the San Francisco Street Food Festival (Aug. 18) -- the arepas from Maite Catering and the pao de queijo from Kika's Treats. Arantes only branches from the sweet treats that have garnered her much acclaim (including S.F. Weekly's best cookies in 2009) once a year for the festival.
