Brazil’s bakeries aren’t charging for fresh bread hot out of the oven.
The government has fixed
the price of the pãozinho at 10 cents
each. Since
padarias do not make any money on the
pãezinhos, they
have diversified and started selling many other things. They have
become the hangout for
young executives in the morning.
by:
Monica Trentini
Padarias are Brazilian bakeries. Most
padarias have Portuguese roots and produce the notorious
pãozinho, which has yet to be re-created successfully in the US.
Padarias bake and sell
pãezinhos throughout the day—fresh ones should be
available by the basketful almost every 20 minutes. Some even wait so they can walk out of the
padaria with a warm bag of
pãezinhos, and rightfully so. There is nothing quite like a fresh
pãozinho eaten with your eggs and
café com leite in the morning or
with butter and honey in the afternoon or early evening, when you want a little something to tide you over.
Don’t throw those cold, even stale
pãezinhos away. Cut into rounds, they make great toast or French toast, and
cubed, crumbled or grated, bread crumbs. In a pinch, I went to my
padaria on Thanksgiving, and was given a big bag of stale
bread for stuffing. They wouldn’t even charge me.*
They aren’t charging for the nice hot out of the oven stuff either. The government has fixed the price of the
pãozinho so it is accessible to everyone, making it the cheapest thing you can buy at the
padaria (about 30 centavos—10 cents each).
Padarias do not make any money on the
pãezinhos, hence the latest trend:
padarias have diversified and started selling
many other things.
If you enjoy going to the beach on the Litoral Norte of São Paulo, you know what I mean. If you go into a
padaria on the way, you can grocery shop. You can find everything short of a
picanha (top sirloin cap) there. Of course, the prices
are higher, and they have an interesting way of selling you your condiments—first, you have to ask the man behind the
counter for them. Next, he bags everything and hands you the bags with a hand-written slip listing all your groceries and cold cuts.
Then, you proceed to the cash register, where you hand the guy in the box your slip and pay for that and anything
you happened to pick up throughout the store, including the paddle ball set he has sitting in the window of his cubicle, or
miniature rhino, if you happened to be so crazy as to bring your 3 year old shopping. The line could be long, so take advantage of
Brazilian laws and go to the front if you are elderly, carrying a child or pregnant.
Even if you decide to stay put in São Paulo, you can still choose to spend your money at the closest
padaria. On Sundays, my padaria roasts chickens and ribs outside, and they sell out
(frango assado and costelas). If I think ahead, I can order
a chicken pie or a palmito (heart of palm) pie from the
padaria on Friday and have it for our Sunday lunch. I had a party
and ordered small breads and bread sticks from the
padaria by the kilo. They also make cold cut trays and meter
sandwiches for parties. (tábua de frios
and sanduíche de metro)
Many Brazilians are opting to eat breakfast at the
padaria. It is the hangout for young executives in the morning, so
if you are looking, you might want to try meeting the man of your dreams over a cup of coffee and a nice hot
pãozinho. Ask people in your neighborhood or at your workplace about the
padarias. If you find a good one, you will be almost as
happy as you would finding that certain someone.
*Another great hint is that some
padarias will bake your turkey or
pernil (ham) for you. Their ovens are on all day,
so why not make a little extra money? If you would like yours baked for the holidays, make sure to talk to the people at
the padaria in advance.
Monica O’Day Trentini was born in the US but raised in Brazil. She attended American Schools and eventually went
to The University of Virginia, where she graduated with a Master’s in Teaching. She married a Brazilian and moved to São
Paulo. She left teaching to raise her children and started a business making and selling home-made cookie dough and baked
cookies to people. She delivers cookies in São Paulo, but orders have come from as far as Arizona! She currently has her articles
published at www.gringoes.com and in The Flash, a printed newsletter for The International Newcomers’ Club in São Paulo.
Monica’s e-mail is cookiedoughtogo@yahoo.com, and she welcomes your responses to her articles, as well as your cookie orders.
