Among the wide variety of typical foods consumed in Paraguay, the mbeju is undoubtedly one of the most prominent. Its name is from the Guarani language (meaning "cake") and its traditional preparation is very simple, requiring very few ingredients. It basically consists of starch, corn flour, egg, animal fat—usually pork—fine salt, fresh cheese, and milk. The most basic preparation involves crushing the starch, which is sifted and purified before adding the pork fat and small pieces of cheese. Everything is hand-beaten, then egg, salt, and milk—or water—are added, and mixed very well until the mixture resembles sand. This mixture is then poured into a hot greased skillet, where it is flattened with a spoon to compact the dough and cooked on both sides.
There is an ancient belief about the origin of this food, which states that the mbeju was created in a pot alongside a woman. According to Guarani culture and its mythology, it was Ñande Ru Vusu—Our Great Father—who created the woman in a large pot. The belief is that Ñande Sy had two fertilizations, one spiritual and one human, and fed Ñande Ru Vusu, who had turned into an owl, with pieces of mbeju. What is documented are writings from the time of Jesuit evangelization missions in the Guarani area, which mention foods made from cassava or maize, such as breads and cakes, later enriched with ingredients brought by Europeans, like cheese or beef and mutton.
The mbeju is also called mbeyú—in Spanish—or beju—like in Brazil—and has spread throughout Paraguay, southern Brazil, and northeastern Argentina. This dissemination was driven by the appearance of recipes with slight ingredient and preparation variations, which enriched the mbeju with numerous variants and ways of consumption. One example is the "mbeju typyraty, kavure, or chacha," made with typyraty, which are leftovers from starch production, usually cooked in a cauldron. Other recognized versions include mbeju molejón, mbeju hu, or iron ration (made with ground manioc in addition to starch and without milk, eggs, or fat), mbeju hu’i (fermented in mud), mbejú popí (a derivative from the manioc root), mbeju havicha, mbeju avevo, mbeju aramiró, mestizo or jopara mbeju, wheat flour mbeju, stuffed mbeju, and the countryside mbeju.
Mbeju relleno de jamón y queso
El mbeju relleno de jamón y queso es una variante del plato típico de fiestas en Paraguay. La masa de consistencia pastosa se rellena con queso, jamón y queso azul, cocinándose hasta dorar. Una combinación de sabores que deleitará tu paladar.
A curious fact about the mbeju occurred in Asunción, Paraguay's capital, in 2011. The City Council decided to host a special event to celebrate Saint John’s Night in the city center, where one of the main attractions was making the largest mbeju in history. Amidst dancing, Paraguayan music, and other traditional foods, hundreds of people gathered for this purpose and succeeded. They used about 500 kilograms of starch and over 100 kilos of cheese, creating a true culinary epic. The mbeju measured nearly 4 meters in diameter, supported by a crane. This memorable event exemplifies the cultural significance and great importance of this food for the entire country.
