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Broa de Avintes

Broa de Avintes is the farmhouse bread of Avintes, also known as Boroa of Avintes is a type of bread with a long tradition in Portugal which is widely consumed in the northern part of the country. The name "broa" or "boroa" likely comes from Germanic *brauda-, specifically Suebian. This type of bread existed in Gallaecia at least since Suebian times. Prior to the addition of corn to the mixture, the main ingredients of broa were rye and malt. After corn was introduced in Europe from the Americas, "broa" became widely associated with "corn-bread". Apart from the similarity of the Portuguese and German words Broa and Brot, there is a strong resemblance between this very traditional Northern Portuguese bread and the German Roggenbrot (rye bread). Some suggest the name 'Broa' could derive instead from the Celtic word *broga- 'limit, field'. It is a dark brown, very dense bread with a distinctive and intense flavour, bittersweet, made with corn and rye flours. It has a particularly slow manufacturing process: it is baked for about five to six hours in the oven. Once cooked, it is sprinkled with flour. The bread generally has the shape of a bell tower.

Source: Wikipedia