Chipa so'o

The Chipa so'o is a cake from Paraguay and Northeast Argentina. It can be prepared in many different ways.[1]

As with most Guaranis cuisine, the "chipa so'o" has many calories. According to Margarita Miró Ibars, who studies Paraguayan culinary anthropology, the different kinds of chipa are part of the "Tyra", a Guarani term for food consumed to accompany the "mate cocido", milk or coffee, or prepared as a side-dish to another main course. The "mbeju" and "sopa paraguaya" are also part of the Tyra.[2]

History

According to some scholars, the Paraguayan diet is particularly high in calories for historical reasons. The 1864-1870 War of the Triple Alliance (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) against Paraguay reportedly wiped out half of the Paraguayan population, causing economic chaos.[3] For example, cultivation of food staple yerba mate declined up to 95%.[4] Economic activity declined due to the devastation, with food production limited to small family farms. In the war's aftermath, starvation was common. Paraguayan cooking adjusted to include dishes rich in protein such as Payagua Mascada (Paraguayan Tortillas).[5]

Preparation

The ingredients are pork fat, eggs, "Mar del Plata cheese", "Criollo cheese" or "Paraguay cheese", salt, corn or maize flour, starch and milk.

The pork fat is whipped until it becomes creamy and becomes much lighter in color. Then the eggs, salt and cheese (in small pieces) are added, whipping the mixture after every addition. The preparation is mixed with the maize flour, starch and milk, producing a paste that can be kneaded with the hands.

The dough is shaped into small balls and a hole is made in them with the thumb. The hole is filled with a mix of chopped meat and eggs. Afterwards, the ball is closed and given form like a small cake about 7 centimeters in diameter.

The cakes are put on a buttered oven tray, and are painted with milk to give them a nicer color. They are cooked in the oven at 250 °C (482 °F) for about 20 minutes.

References

  1. ↑ Elichondo, Margarita (1997). La comida criolla: memorias y recetas. Ediciones Del Sol. ISBN 978-950-9413-76-4.
  2. ↑ "Karú rekó – Antropología culinaria paraguaya", Margarita Miró Ibars
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Blinn Reber, Vera. Yerba Mate in Nineteenth Century Paraguay, 1985.
  5. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/payagua-mascada-paraguayan-tortillas-432220

Sources

External links

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