Tapioca, also called beiju, is one of the oldest foods in Brazil. Indigenous peoples were making flatbreads from the starch of the cassava root long before the Portuguese arrived, and in the North and Northeast of the country they are still cooked on griddles at street stalls by tapioqueiras, the women and men who have made the craft their own. The method is almost magical: the starch is moistened, rubbed through a sieve until it looks like damp sand, and scattered into a hot dry pan, where the grains melt together into a soft white disc without a drop of fat or a single egg.

Fillings run from the simple to the extravagant. Grated coconut is close to compulsory, salty white cheese is a favorite, and the sweet versions with condensed milk make breakfast feel like dessert. Tapiocas are naturally gluten free, take two minutes each, and are filled to order, which makes them ideal for a long São Paulo race morning, with each person choosing their own.

The tapioca dough (goma)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) tapioca starch
• 2 cups (480 ml) cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Put the starch in the bowl and pour over the cold water. Stir until smooth, then leave it to stand for 1 hour without stirring.
2. Tip the bowl carefully and pour away all the clear water. Lay the towel or a few paper towels on the surface of the starch and press down firmly to soak up the remaining moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels until no more water comes out.
3. Break the block into lumps with your hands and crumble them between your fingers. Add the salt. Then rub the starch through the sieve into a clean bowl, pushing it through with your fingertips.

The fillings

Ingredients

• 6 oz (170 g) queijo coalho or halloumi
• 1 cup (80 g) unsweetened grated coconut
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 1/3 cup (100 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ripe banana

Method

1. For the savory filling, mix the grated cheese with half of the coconut in a small bowl. For the sweet filling, put the rest of the coconut, the condensed milk and the banana slices in separate small bowls. Put the soft butter beside the stove with a knife.
2. Cook the savory tapiocas first, then the sweet ones, so the pan does not need wiping between them. If the condensed milk is very thick, stir in a teaspoon of warm water so it drizzles easily.

Cooking the tapiocas

Ingredients

• about 1/3 cup (40 g) per tapioca sieved tapioca dough

Method

1. Set the dry nonstick pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Do not add any oil or butter.
2. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the starch into the sieve and shake it over the pan in an even layer, covering the base right to the edge. Or sprinkle it with a spoon and press it level gently with the back of the spoon, filling any gaps.
3. Cook without touching for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. The starch will turn translucent in places and fuse into a single sheet.
4. Turn the tapioca over with the spatula. Spread a little butter over it, then scatter one side with the cheese and coconut, or with coconut, banana and a drizzle of condensed milk. Cook for 1 minute more.
5. Fold the tapioca in half over the filling, press it lightly with the spatula and slide it onto a plate. Serve at once and carry on with the next one.

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