Canjica (dish)

"Canjica" (IPA2|kan'ʒikɐ) or "mugunzá" (IPA2|mugun'za) is a Brazilian sweet dish, is similar to American grits, associated with the winter festivals (Festas Juninas).

The dish is a porridge or corn mush made with white de-germed whole maize kernels (canjica), cooked with milk, sugar and cinnamon until tender. Coconut and coconut milk are common ingredients, and probably part of the original recipe. Other ingredients may be added, such as peanuts and sweetened condensed milk.

The name "canjica" is prevalent in southern Brazil, while "mugunzá" is used in the nortern states (where "canjica" means a different dish, made with unripe corn juice). Both words come from the Kongo (Kikongo) and/or Mbundu (Kimbundu) languages, where they refer to similar grain porridgescite book
title = Dicionário Português-Kimbundu-Kikongo
author = Father Antonio da Silva Maia] cite book
title = Dicionário de Kimbundu-Portuguez
author = J.D.Cordeiro da Matta.] .

External links

* [http://www.gastronomias.com/internacionais/br248.htm "Canjica" recipe from a site in Portuguese] .

See also

*Pamonha
*Canjica, a type of white corn