Cheese and tapioca bread

Mbeju is a traditional flatbread from Paraguay and northern Argentina with roots in Guaraní culture. It's a type of flatbread cooked in a dry frying pan without any added fat. The texture is a bit like 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 as a cheesy quesadilla-style snack or as a hearty accompaniment to a rich soup.

Tapioca flour is extracted from the manioc root (also known as cassava), which is an important 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 those with a sensitive gut or who avoid gluten. It mainly provides easily absorbed carbohydrates for quick energy, but since the bread is built on cheese, you also get both protein and satisfying fat.

Ingredients

• 200 g da Carla tapiokamjöl
• 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 + 50 g Gouda, mozzarella, herrgårdsost or mild melting cheese)
• 1.5–2 dl milk (fridge-cold)
• A pinch of salt (keep in mind that some cheeses are already salty)
• Optional for extra crispness: 25–50 g room-temperature butter

Method

• Mix da Carla tapiokamjöl and the grated cheese (and any butter and salt) in a bowl. Use your fingers to pinch and rub the ingredients together. You should end up with a crumbly mixture where the cheese is evenly distributed through the flour.
• Pour in the milk a little at a time while stirring constantly with your fingers. You don't want a smooth or runny pancake batter. The goal is a texture like 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) across the whole base of the pan.
• Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to press lightly along the edges so the bread gets a neat, round shape. Don't press too hard in the middle – you want a slightly airy structure so it turns out soft inside.
• Let it cook for about 2–3 minutes. As the cheese and tapioca react to the heat, they bind the crumbs together into a whole cake. Once the underside has developed nice, golden-brown spots, flip the bread (use a plate to help if needed). Cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Serve straight away while it's piping hot and the cheese is melted!