Polvilho azedo or sour manioc starch is a key ingredient in Brazilian cheese bread. The sour manioc starch or cassava starch is made from pressing and juicing fresh cassava roots, which are fermented and then dried to form a very fine white flour. The starch is called sour in contrast to sweet manioc starch where the cassava juice is dried without the fermentation process – which you use is a matter of personal taste. It’s certainly worth trying both! As well as an ingredient in Brazilian cheese rolls – like small cheesy choux buns with an airy soft centre – the manioc starch is used as a thickener in soups and gravies, and the packet includes a recipe for a tapioca pancake. The producer Yoki launched in 1960 as a family owned business and is now one of Brazil’s best loved food and drink brands, and guarantees an authentic Brazilian experience.
