Paçoca

Paçoca is a candy made out of ground peanuts, sugar, honey and salt. Some recipes also add flour, such as corn flour, oat flour or cassava flour. It is typical of the Brazilian Caipira cuisine and most present in the countryside of southeastern states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, being either manufactured or home-made. It is also very common during the Festa Junina, an annual festivity that celebrates the caipira lifestyle. It is known for its distinct dry texture and sweet taste, and is one of the most beloved Brazilian candies. Paçoca in its present form was invented during the Colonial Brazil Period, but Native Brazilian peoples had recipes that mixed cassava flour with other ingredients prior to colonization. Those recipes were modified by the settlers, creating the current combination that uses sugar. The word "paçoca" comes from the Tupi word pa'soka which means crumble.[citation needed] The term is also used for the savoury dish by the same name. Both are a mix of cassava flour pounded together with other ingredients – peanuts and sugar in the case of the sweet, and carne-de-sol (sun-dried-beef) for the savoury dish.[citation needed]

Source: Wikipedia