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The Unsung Hero of Brazilian Snacks

I have talked endlessly about my love of pão de queijo.

I mean, what is not to love? It is warm bread stuffed with cheese. Warm, chewy, cheesy little balls of happiness.

If you think the Lay’s slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one.,” is perfect for potato chips, then you have never had a good pão de queijo.

You put a bowl of them on the table and people start grabbing them. One turns into two. Two turns into five. Before you know it, you’re having a conversation with an empty bowl wondering where the hell they all went.

They are a snack. You can eat them while chatting with friends, having coffee, or walking down the street. They are one of those little things that somehow make an ordinary moment feel better.

But there is another Brazilian snack that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves.

The unsung hero.

The coxinha.

Now, the coxinha is not just a snack.

The coxinha is a small meal disguised as a snack.

It is deep-fried, golden, crispy on the outside and filled with shredded chicken on the inside. And yes, you can find them with beef or other fillings, but trust me on this one: go with the chicken and cheese.

That combination should probably come with a warning.

You bite into the crispy outside and get that warm, savory chicken and melted cheese. It is rich, filling, and just greasy enough to make you understand that whoever invented it was not trying to create a health food.

They were trying to create happiness.

And they succeeded.

I remember the first time I really started appreciating the difference between the two.

Pão de queijo is something you eat without thinking about it. You grab one, then another. It goes with coffee. It goes with conversation. It is part of the background of life in Brazil.

The coxinha demands a little more attention.

You hold it in your hand. It is warm. You take that first bite and immediately realize this isn’t just something to nibble on.

This is lunch pretending to be a snack.

And that is why I think the coxinha deserves its place among the great Brazilian foods that don’t get nearly enough attention outside Brazil.

The pão de queijo may get all the love from me, but the coxinha is sitting quietly in the corner waiting for its turn.

And believe me, when that turn comes, you’re going to want the chicken and cheese.

We can talk about the beef version another day.

Today, let’s give the unsung hero its due.

Long live the coxinha.

And if you haven’t tried one yet, I have only one piece of advice:

Don’t start when you’re hungry.

You’re going to need more than one.