The “chipa” as a typical food, has a long history that dates to the amazing Guarani indigenous peoples who lived in a vast homogeneous territory of what is now the Northeastern region of Argentina, Paraguay, and a small portion of Southern Brazil. In the past the territory was vast.
The chipa is a cheese-style bun made of starch flour or fresh corn flour or manioc flour (or some of these mixed) In the old times before the Spanish came to “conquer” the Americas, it was made of cassava and anise and later more ingredients were added.
The Guarani indigenous territory was enormous, it comprehended all of Paraguay, a portion of Southern Brasil, Northeastern Argentina also small parts of Uruguay and Bolivia,
The regular chipa has a donut shape that is baked in a brick oven delicious!!! I had the best in the smallest towns in Paraguay and Northeast Argentina.
It is a staple in Paraguay, and the chipa has many different varieties but the ones easily found to buy on the streets or “chiperías” (the bakeries where chipa is made and sold) are regular chipa with cheese, with extra cheese, with beef, with chicken, and with pork rind. However it all depends on where you are, remember that the areas I am talking about are huge!
The chiperias in Argentina are mostly found in the province of Misiones, Corrientes, Chaco, and Formosa. These provinces have a culture and common history plus a subtropical climate, geography, and ecology common to them (find out more is fascinating!!).
You will not find chiperias in Buenos Aires state or the city of Buenos Aires. Here is a chiperia in the small town of Puerto Esperanza in the province of Misiones with AMAZING chipa!!
Here is an interview with a Chipa seller in Puerto Iguazu, Province of Misiones Argentina
Click here to see the video
