Small, chewy cheese rolls made from cassava starch and fresh cheese. Paraguay's beloved anytime snack.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: basket lined with cloth
Accompaniments: cocido (Paraguayan tea), mate
Instructions
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1
Combine the cassava starch and salt in a large bowl. Add the softened butter and work it into the starch with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. The fat coating prevents the starch from becoming gummy during mixing.
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2
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add the milk while kneading until the dough comes together. The consistency should be soft and pliable but not sticky, similar to soft playdough that holds its shape when moulded.
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3
Fold in both grated cheeses and the anise seeds, kneading until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the dough. The cheese makes the dough stretchy and adds its essential savoury flavour that contrasts beautifully with the starchy cassava base.
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4
Let the dough rest at room temperature for fifteen minutes. Divide into twelve to sixteen equal portions and shape each into a ring, crescent, or simple round ball. The traditional shape is a ring made by rolling a portion into a log and joining the ends.
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5
Place the shaped chipa on parchment-lined baking sheets with space between each piece for expansion. Bake at 200C for twenty to twenty-five minutes until golden brown on the outside with a chewy, slightly crispy crust and a soft, stretchy cheese interior.
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6
Serve the chipa warm, fresh from the oven when the cheese is still melty and stretchy inside. These cheese breads are Paraguay's most iconic food, sold at every bus stop and street corner, and are an essential part of Holy Week celebrations.
Did You Know?
During Holy Week, Paraguayans make special chipas in enormous quantities to share with family and neighbors.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- oven
Accompaniments
cocido (Paraguayan tea), mate
The Story Behind Chipa
The Story: Chipa is Paraguay's iconic bread: a dense, chewy roll made from cassava starch (almidon de mandioca), queso paraguayo (fresh Paraguayan cheese), eggs, butter or lard, and sometimes anise seed, baked until golden with a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, stretchy interior. The cassava-starch base produces a distinctively chewy, gluten-free texture unlike any wheat bread. Chipa's origins lie in the Guarani tradition of cassava processing, merged with the Spanish and Jesuit introduction of cheese and European baking concepts. The result is a food that belongs to neither tradition alone but is uniquely Paraguayan.
On the Calendar: Chipa is eaten year-round as breakfast food, snack, and travel provision, sold from baskets at bus stations and markets across the country. It holds special significance during Semana Santa (Holy Week), when enormous quantities are baked in outdoor clay ovens (tatakua) and shared among families and neighbors.
Then & Now: Chipa remains one of Paraguay's most consumed and beloved foods, with every family maintaining its own recipe and every region claiming a superior version. Commercial chipa is widely available, but homemade versions baked in the tatakua are considered incomparably superior. Chipa has spread to neighboring Argentina and Brazil through Paraguayan diaspora communities.
Legacy: Chipa is the Guarani-Spanish fusion made edible: indigenous cassava starch married to European cheese and baking, producing a bread that is Paraguay's most portable and beloved cultural symbol.
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