Pastel Mandi'o

Pastel mandi'o is a deep-fried cassava turnover, filled with cheese or minced beef. It is one of the everyday street snacks of Paraguay, sold hot from the fryer and eaten by hand.

Mandi'o is the Paraguayan word for cassava, the starchy root that gives this pastry its name and its soft dough. The snack is a common sight at street stalls and small counters, where it is bought as a quick bite.

What it really is

The dough is made from cassava and folded over a filling of melted cheese or minced beef. The edges are sealed, and the pastry is deep fried until the outside is golden and crisp. Minced beef fillings are usually cooked with onion first. Recipes differ from cook to cook in the amount of cheese, the seasoning of the dough and the thickness of the shell, so there is no single standard version.

Traditional dough is cassava, so it contains no wheat. Milk comes in with the cheese, and some cooks add egg to the dough, so the allergens depend on the recipe.

How it's served

• Hot from the fryer, often wrapped in paper or a napkin.
• Eaten in the hand, as a snack or a light meal.
• Sold singly or in small numbers, with cheese and beef as the usual fillings.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling, cheese or minced beef, and list each as its own item if you sell both.
• Flag milk for the cheese version, and ask the kitchen whether egg is in the dough.
• Say the pastry is deep fried, so guests know it is not baked.
• Describe a cheese version as vegetarian only if the cheese is made without animal rennet.