Chipá (Yuca and Cheese Bread)
This fluffy, dairy-rich bun is more than a regional staple—it’s a way of life.
- Serves
makes 12 rolls
- Time
1 hour
The word “chipá” (often spelled “chipa”) refers to a family of breads and casseroles made from a combination of mandioca (also known as yuca or tapioca) starch, corn, and cheese. Enjoyed in northeast Argentina and Paraguay, it’s the keystone of a centuries-old food canon that fuses long-standing Guaraní corn dishes with dairy, introduced by Spanish Jesuits. The recipe that follows is the reigning rendition, a simple cheese and yuca bun enjoyed from dawn to dusk, most often alongside a cup of yerba mate.
Featured in: “This Glorious Root Is Northeast Argentina's Pantry Staple.”
Ingredients
- ⅓ cups milk, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg
- 3⅓ cups cassava starch (11½ oz.), plus more as needed
- 7 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed, plus more for greasing
- 2½ oz. Argentine sardo cheese (not Italian Pecorino Fiore Sardo), or provolone, cut into ½-in. cubes
- 2½ oz. Tybo cheese (or Monterey Jack), cut into ½-in. cubes
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Note: Formed chipá dough can be frozen for up to two months. Bake straight from the freezer, adding about 3 minutes to the cooking time.
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