Brazilian shredded yuca cake
Mané pelado (Portuguese: [mɐˈnɛ peˈladu] ⓘ; lit. 'Naked Mané') or bolo mané pelado is a Brazilian cake traditional to Goiás and the Center-West.[1] It consists of shredded yuca and coconut, and a salted cheese such as canastra cheese or minas cheese.[2] It can be found at regional Festa Juninas in Brazil.[2]
History
The exact origin of the cake is unknown, but there are several urban legends as to how it was created. Some stories tell of a farmer named Manoel or Mané who would sell this cake either shirtless or with an unbuttoned shirt,[3][4] whereas others claim that the dessert is named after a farmer named Mané who would harvest yuca while naked.[1][2][5][6] Another story tells that the cake is named in honor of a nearby farmer named Mané who provided the yuca used when the recipe was created.[7]
Researchers with Comer História (History of Eating), a project run by the College of Philosophy and Sciences [pt] at São Paulo State University, made the claim in 2023 that Mané pelado is a derivation of Manauê [pt], a Brazilian cake from the colonial period that was adapted from a traditional indigenous Brazilian meal. It was created by the Portuguese after adding eggs, milk, sugar, and fat to an indigenous meal consisting of yuca dough baked in a banana leaf and baking it in a tray instead of in leafs. Mané pelado would have then been developed when coconut and cheese were added to Manauê. It would get its name from a gradual shift from Manauê to Manué to Mané, with pelado (naked) being added to the end as a reference to how the dessert would be baked in a pan rather than a banana leaf.[4]
See also
References
