Chipa guasu facts for kids
Chipa guasu served with salad
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| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Course | Breakfast or snack |
| Place of origin | Paraguay |
| Main ingredients | Choclo, fat, milk, egg, Paraguay cheese |
The chipa guasu is a yummy cake from Paraguay. It's made with fresh corn, onions, and a special cheese from Paraguay. This tasty dish is one of about 70 different kinds of chipa, which are traditional side dishes in Paraguay. People often enjoy chipa guasu at asados, which are big barbecue gatherings.
Contents
How Chipa Guasu Started
Historians believe that the idea for chipa guasu goes way back to the time when Spanish explorers first arrived in Paraguay. A German traveler named Ulrich Schmidl wrote about a starchy bread made by the Cario-Guarani people. They were a native tribe living near what is now Asunción.
This bread was called "mbujapé," which means "bread" in the Guarani language. To make mbujapé, the Cario-Guarani people mixed corn flour or cassava starch with animal fat. Then, they wrapped it in a banana leaf and cooked it in hot ashes.
A Mix of Cultures
Paraguayan cooking is a blend of Spanish and Cario-Guarani traditions. When the Spanish arrived, they brought new foods like cattle. This meant new ingredients became available, such as beef, milk, eggs, and cheese.
The Cario-Guarani people already had a diet based on corn, cassava, pumpkin, and sweet potato. When these native foods were mixed with the new Spanish ingredients, many of Paraguay's famous dishes were born. Chipa guasu is one of these dishes, combining corn, cheese, milk, and eggs. This mix of old and new ingredients created the unique flavors of Paraguayan food we know today.
Ingredients and How to Make It
Chipa guasu is made with simple, fresh ingredients. You will need medium-sized onions, milk, salt, eggs, and fresh corn kernels. For the cheese, people usually use Paraguayan cheese, which is a very fresh kind, or sometimes Criollo cheese. You also need oil or pork fat.
Cooking Steps
First, chop the onions and boil them in a pot with water and salt for about 10 minutes. After boiling, let the onions cool down.
Traditionally, people use pork fat instead of oil. They whip the fat until it becomes creamy and light in color. Then, they add the eggs one by one while still whipping. Pieces of fresh cheese are also added during this step.
Next, the cooled boiled onions, corn, and milk are mixed into the batter. The whole mixture is then poured into a baking tray that has been buttered or floured.
Finally, the chipa guasu is baked in an oven at a low heat, around 180–200 °C (356–392 °F), for about 50 to 60 minutes.
Variations
Sometimes, a version of chipa guasu is made without eggs. If you skip the eggs, you just need to add a bit more milk to the recipe. Chipa guasu is also very similar to another Paraguayan dish called sopa paraguaya. The main difference is that chipa guasu uses whole corn kernels, while sopa paraguaya uses corn flour.
See also
In Spanish: Chipa guazú para niños
