The Street-Side Snowflakes of Brazil
In Brazil, these tapioca pancakes—called “tapiocas”—are a beloved street-food breakfast. Vendors sprinkle hydrated tapioca flour onto a hot pan, and like magic, the grains fuse into a soft, chewy “snowflake” pancake without eggs or milk. Indigenous Brazilians from the Amazon were the first to make them using cassava root, turning a simple local plant into a national treasure enjoyed sweet or savory across Brazil.