They brushed me off as they loaded surfboards and beach chairs into the trunk—there would be plenty of purveyors at the beach selling food and beer; no need to bring our own. And sure enough, there were nearly as many vendors on the beach as there were sunbathers, selling Budweisers, fresh coconuts, and bags of Globos, the iconic Brazilian crunchy yucca cracker.
Given that grilling is such a prominent part of Brazilian dining culture, it was no real surprise to also spot hawkers milling about with small, portable grills, setting up shop at the feet of their patrons and slinging skewers by the half dozen. The result was a parade of grilled meats—coração de frango (chewy chicken hearts), picanha (super-tender sirloin caps), and linguiça (garlic-and-pepper sausage). My friend waved a vendor over and promptly placed an order for queijo coalho, looking back at me with a toothy grin.
Queijo coalho em espetos, or cheese skewers, is a Brazilian beach staple. They’re made with light, squeaky cow’s-milk cheese, akin to the cheese curds I grew up with in the Midwest. The most commonly used cheese is coalho, made in the country’s northeast. This particular vendor, however, used a version from Minas Gerais, a southeastern state that’s home to some of Brazil’s best coffee, cachaça, and, yes, cheese.
It’s the perfect cheese for grilling, with a mild, slightly acidic flavor and firm texture that holds its shape, so you can eat it right off the skewer.
