Mbeyú is a flat cassava starch and cheese cake, a legacy of Guaraní cuisine with Jesuit influence, very popular in Paraguay and in the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes in northeastern Argentina.
Unlike chipá, which is baked as individual rolls, mbeyú is cooked directly in a hot skillet, no oven needed, browning on both sides like a crisp flatbread.
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Argentine Mbeyú
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 29 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
Nutrition
- Calories: 210
Ingredients
- 300 g of cassava starch (tapioca starch) (about 10.5 oz)
- 150 g of semi-hard cheese, grated (about 5.3 oz)
- 2 tablespoons of butter or oil
- to taste of salt
- as needed of warm milk or water
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients, in a bowl, combine the cassava starch with the grated cheese and salt.
- Add the fat, stir in the butter or oil and mix by hand until it forms crumbs.
- Moisten the dough, add warm milk or water a little at a time, just enough to get a moist dough that can be pressed together, without turning liquid.
- Heat the skillet, preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, no extra oil needed.
- Shape the cake, pour the mixture into the skillet and press it with a spoon or spatula into an even cake about 1 cm (0.4 in) thick.
- Cook one side, let it cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is golden and firm, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Flip and finish, carefully flip it, using a plate to help if needed, and cook the other side until golden.
Tips for getting it right
- Don’t add too much liquid: the dough should be moist but firm, not like a runny pancake batter.
- Use medium-low heat so the mbeyú cooks through evenly without burning on the outside.
- A heavy-bottomed skillet, like cast iron, helps achieve a more even cook.
- It’s best served fresh, when it’s crisp outside and tender inside.
Traditional variations
- Some families add an egg to the mixture for a softer texture.
- Thinner versions also exist, almost like a crepe cake, depending on each household’s tradition.
How to serve
Mbeyú is served hot, freshly made, cut into portions as an accompaniment to mate.
It’s part of the group of foods known as týra, traditional foods meant to accompany mate, milk, or coffee.
Recommended sides
- Mate
- Coffee with milk
- Dulce de leche
Did you know?
“Mbeyú” is a Guaraní word meaning “flattened cake,” a direct reference to its flat shape and the technique of pressing it in the skillet.
It’s one of the oldest recipes in Guaraní culture, predating the arrival of colonizers, and together with chipá and Paraguayan soup, is part of the týra foods meant to accompany mate and other hot drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chipá is baked as individual rolls, while mbeyú is cooked directly in a hot skillet, no oven needed, forming a flat cake that browns on both sides.
It's a Guaraní word meaning "flattened cake," referring to its flat shape and the technique of pressing the dough in the skillet.
Because mbeyú needs a moist but firm dough to hold its shape in the skillet; if it's too liquid, it behaves like a pancake and loses its characteristic texture.
Yes, although a heavy-bottomed skillet helps achieve a more even cook, any good-quality non-stick skillet can be used.
