Cheese and tapioca bread

Mbeju is a traditional quick bread from Paraguay and northern Argentina with roots in Guaraní culture. It's a type of flatbread that's fried in a dry pan without added fat. The texture can be likened to a gluten-free, coarser version of a quesadilla or flatbread, though with its own character, where the cheese and starch bind together into a firm but chewy cake. Mbeju is traditionally eaten for breakfast or afternoon fika, but works just as well, in the style of a cheesy quesadilla, as a hearty accompaniment to a rich soup.

Tapioca flour is extracted from the manioc root (also known as cassava), which is a staple food in tropical parts of the world. Unlike ordinary grain starches, tapioca is naturally free from gluten. Tapioca flour is gentle on the stomach and easy to digest, which makes it popular for sensitive digestive systems or for those who avoid gluten. It mainly contributes easily absorbed carbohydrates for quick energy, but since the bread is based on cheese, you also get protein and satiating fat.

Ingredients

• 200 g da Carla tapioca flour
• 150 g grated cheese (for the best result, combine a flavourful cheese with one that melts easily. Example mix: 100 g Västerbotten cheese, mature prästost or crumbled feta cheese + 50 g Gouda, mozzarella, herrgårdsost or mild melting cheese)
• 1.5–2 dl milk (fridge-cold)
• A pinch of salt (bear in mind that some cheeses are already salty)
• Optional for extra crispiness: 25–50 g room-temperature butter

Method

• Mix da Carla tapioca flour and the grated cheese (and any butter and salt) in a bowl. Use your fingers to pinch and rub the ingredients together. It should become a crumbly mixture where the cheese is evenly distributed in the flour.
• Pour in the milk a little at a time while constantly stirring with your fingers. You don't want a homogeneous or runny pancake batter. The goal is a texture similar to damp sand or coarse breadcrumbs. When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should hold together, but easily crumble apart again when you poke at it.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Don't add any fat to the pan. Scatter a layer of the crumbs (about 1–1.5 cm thick) over the entire bottom of the pan.
• Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to press gently along the edges so the bread gets a nice, round shape. Don't press too hard in the middle – it should have a slightly airy structure to become soft inside.
• Fry for about 2–3 minutes. When the cheese and tapioca react to the heat, they bind the crumbs together into a whole cake. When the underside has got nice, golden-brown spots, turn the bread (use a plate to help if needed). Fry for another 2 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately while it's piping hot and the cheese is melted!