The Piauí de Riquezas program, aired on Saturday (31), featured the farinhada in Palmeirais, in the Center-North region of Piauí. With around 13,000 residents, the municipality preserves customs that cross generations and form part of its local identity.
The process begins with the cassava harvest. Rural workers then gather to peel the root and continue the artisanal production of flour, an activity that mobilizes entire families in the community.
Maria Teresa Vieira, 63, told TV Clube that she began taking part in the farinhada at 16 and has kept the annual tradition alive. She said the activity is both a tradition and a source of income, with flour, goma and farinha de puba providing extra earnings, and she highlighted the beiju at the end as the best part.
The work is divided among 20 to 22 women and usually lasts a full day, according to the report. To make the task lighter, the workers use songs and prayers. Rosa Calixto explained that some stay in the morning to scrape the cassava, while others come in the afternoon to wash the mass and turn it into goma for the oven operator.
After washing, the cassava mass is pressed to remove water and then passed through a press to eliminate the remaining liquid. It is then sifted and kneaded by hand to remove fibers and keep the grains uniform before going to the oven.
A rural producer known as "Caba da Roça" said the process softens the hands, in contrast to field work harvesting cassava. During toasting, the mass must be stirred continuously so it loses moisture and reaches the ideal point.
The remaining mass is used to make coconut babaçu beiju served on a banana leaf. A worker explained that the leaf is placed in the hot oven to prevent sticking and to help turn the beiju and bring it to the right point.
Sources: G1.