Discovering Paraguay Descubriendo Paraguay

Maní Garrapiñado are essentially candy-coated peanuts. Peanuts are boiled in sugar water until the water evaporates leaving a sticky sweet coating that hardens once cooled. The protein from the peanuts plus the rush from the sugary coating makes maní garrapiñado a deliciously crunchy snack (and interesting addition to homemade trail-mix).

Maní Garrapiñado es maní con una cobertura de caramelo. El maní se hierve junto con agua azucarada hasta que el agua se evapore dejando el almibar pegajoso que se endurece al enfriar. La proteina del maní más la energía repentina que brinda el caramelo hace que el maní garrapiñado sea un bocadito delicioso y crocante (y una adición interesante para el “trail mix”.. disculpen, no tengo idea como traducirlo).

Perhaps for Americans the most familiar peanut product to be found in Paraguay is peanut butter. Here it is called “manteca de maní” (literally “butter from peanuts”). Although this is not necessarily a traditional paraguayan use for peanuts it is found throughout the country thanks to the mennonite colonies. This is not your usual Jiffy or Peter Pan though. In fact, one of my Paraguayan friends bought an jar of Jiffy out of curiosity and found it completely unpalatable. The mennonite produced peanut butter is it is more akin to Teddy´s brand organic peanut butter made with just ground peanuts and salt. Some cooperatives also have variations such as peanut butter with chocolate or, a personal favorite, peanut butter with sesame seeds. It is surprisingly good. This all natural peanut butter can be used to make the best peanut butter cookies ever. If you are asked to bring desserts for a tea or party consider making peanut butter cookies. I have yet to meet a Paraguayan who doesn´t enjoy this novel use of peanuts.

Quizás el producto de maní que les será más familiar a los americanos en Paraguay es la manteca de maní. Aunque la manteca de maní no es necesariamente una forma típicamente paraguaya de usar el maní es producida y vendida en todo el país gracias a las colonias menonitas. Pero no es manteca de maní al estilo de marcas conocidas de EEUU como “Jiffy” o “Peter Pan.” Es más, tengo un amigo paraguayo quien se compró una jara de Jiffy por curiosidad y lo declaró incomible. La manteca de maní de los menonitas se asemeja más a la marca orgánica “Teddy” compuesta sólo de maní y sal. Algunas cooperativas tienen otros sabores como maní con chocolate, o, mi favorito, maní con sésamo. Es sorprendentemente rico. Esta manteca de maní puramente natural puede ser utilisada para hacer las mejores galletitas de manteca de maní del mundo (¡sin exagerar!). Si se te pide traer un postre para un té o una reunión considera hornear galletitas de manteca de maní. Hasta el momento no he conocido ningún paraguayo que no le guste este novedoso uso del maní.

Interested in sampling some peanut products? Peanut butter is available in most large supermarkets, and there is a peanut stand in Agroshopping. Keep Gs. 1,000 handy while riding the bus since many vendors come on selling home made dulce de maní. And if you are driving down Route 2 make sure to stop at the Casa del Maní.

¿Te interesa probar algunos productos de maní? La manteca de maní está a la venta en la mayoría de los supermercados grandes y además hay un puesto de maní en Agroshopping. Mantén un Gs. 1,000 a la mano mientras andas en colectivo ya que muchos vendedores suben a vender dulce de maní casero. Y si estás manejando por Ruta 2 no te olvides de hacer una parada en la Casa del Maní.

Update:

I thought I’d share an interesting email I received from a reader regarding why Paraguayan peanut butter tastes so different from American peanut butter:

“Natalia,

I enjoyed your posting about peanuts and I have used both Jiff and the natural variety. You might appreciate this background about Jiff.

Back in the 1950s the Proctor and Gamble Company introduced Jiff. They sold the brand to J.M. Smucker Co. a few years ago.

P&G knew that peanut oil is highly prized for use in woks and french fry machines because it holds up very well at high temperatures and does not smoke and burn like other oils. So, they extracted the oil from the peanuts and replaced it with cottonseed and/or soybean oil. This increased profit for P&G since peanut oil sells at a much higher price than the other oils. P&G was already buying huge quantities of the other oils for use in Crisco and liquid shortenings, so they paid a bargain price for them.

P&G also added sugar as well as salt to increase appeal among kids, so they would ask their Moms for Jiff instead of Peter Pan or another brand.
And, they used their marketing clout to promote Jiff intensively.

The FTC mandated that P&G could not sell their product as peanut butter so it was introduced as Jiff peanut flavored spread. Eventually, other producers caught on and added sugar and substitute oils to their products. The FTC was badgered until they dropped the label requirement. Jiff and the others are now sold as peanut butter.

The natural varieties have a true peanut taste. Sometimes Jiff tastes to me like peanut flavored Crisco. Maybe that is why your friend found it unpalatable.

Graham”

Peanuts are typical paraguayan crop and consumed by Paraguayans in many forms. Although they are known as “cacahuates” in other parts of Latin America, in Paraguay peanuts are called “maní.” That´s “ma” (mama) “ní” (knee). In Guaraní they are called “manduví” – “man” (maniacal) “du” (due) “ví” (veal).

Dulce de maní is one of the most popular peanut based foods in Paraguay. It is kind of similar to peanut brittle, although a little thicker and less… brittle. “Miel de caña” (sugar cane honey) is boiled down after which toasted peanuts are added. This concoction is then poured into rectangular pans and allowed to cool and harden resulting in small bricks of nutty deliciousness. Home made dulce de maní is sold on buses and in roadside stands throughout the country, usually costing from Gs. 500 to Gs. 1,000. They are also referred to as “kaí ladrillo,” or “monkey brick.” I feel bad for the poor Paraguayan woman whose destroyed batch of dulce de maní prompted the discovery that monkeys like both peanuts and honey!

There is one special type of dulce de maní I have only found in the mennonite Cooperatives in the Chaco. Unlike typical dulce de maní which contains whole peanuts, this is made of a creamy peanut paste – almost like a bar of sweetened peanut butter. Unfortunately I can´t remember the name but it comes wrapped in foil and has a white label with a green line drawing of a palo borracho tree. It is amazing. If you are in Filadelfia I highly suggest seeking it out at the colony´s cooperative store.

El maní es una cosecha típica del Paraguay y se consume de varias formas. Aunque en otras partes de Latino América se conocen como “cacahuates” aquí se le dice “maní.” En Guaraní se llaman “manduví” – “man” (manada) “du” (duque) “ví” (vida).

El dulce de maní es uno de los platos a base de maní más populares. Miel de caña se hierve hasta ponerse espeso y de allí se agrega maní tostado. Una ves bien combinado se vierte en moldes rectangulares y se deja enfriar y endurecerse resultando en pequeños ladrillos deliciosos con sabor a nueces. Dulce de maní casero se vende en colectivos y en puestos al costado de la ruta en todo el país, normalmente al precio de Gs. 500 – Gs. 1000. También se le llama “kaí ladrillo,” o “ladrillo de mono.” ¡Me da pena la pobre mujer paraguaya quien descubrió, junto con su dulce estropeado, que a los monos les gusta ambos el maní y la miel!

Hay un tipo de dulce de maní que sólo he logrado encontrar en las colonias menonitas del Chaco. A diferencia del dulce de maní típico, el cual lleva maní entero, este dulce es elaborado con una pasta cremosa de maní. Es casi como una barra de manteca de maní endulsada. Desafortunadamene no me recuerdo de su nombre pero viene envuelto en papel de aluminio con una etiqueta blanca que tiene un dibujo verde de un palo borracho. Es increible. Si te encuentras en Filadelfia sugiero que lo busques en el supermercado de la cooperativa.

Peanuts are also consumed ground up and added into other dishes. Ground peanuts are called “manduví kui.” “Kui” is the Guaraní word for small granules. For example, yby(earth) kui (granules) = sand. Manduví kui is often added to children´s cocido either alone or along with ground up coconut (this is combination is called “preparado”). Many people like to eat manduví kui with miel de caña for dessert. Be warned though, “manduví kui con miel” is also referred to jokingly as “viagra paraguaya.” I´ll leave it to you to confirm nor deny whether this claim has any truth to it!

El maní también se consume molido y agreagado a otros platos. Maní molido se llama “manduví kui.” “Kui” significa gránulos pequeños en Guaraní. Por ejemplo, yby (tierra) kui (gránulos pequeños) = arena. Frequentemente se le agrega manduví kui al cocido para los niños – sólo o con coco molido (esta combinación se llama “preparado”). A muchos les gusta comer el manduvi kui con miel de caña como postre. Sean advertidos, al manduvi kui con miel de caña también se le suele llamar “viagra paraguaya.” ¡Dejaré que ustedes niegen o comprueben si es cierto!