Where does Tutu de feijão come from?

Tutu de feijão — country of origin: Brazil.

What is Tutu de feijão made of?

Black bean, cassava flour, garlic, onion, bacon, olive oil.

Tutu de feijão

A thick Brazilian purée of cooked beans, manioc flour and garlic, served as a side with rice and meat, most often in Minas Gerais.

Also known as: Tutu mineiro · Tutu de feijão mineiro · Feijão tropeiro purée

Allergens & declarations

The classic recipe carries none of the 14 EU allergens.

This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.

In detail

Tutu de feijão is a thick, savoury purée of cooked beans mixed with cassava flour, served as a side dish in Brazil. It is most closely associated with the state of Minas Gerais and is typically eaten with rice, greens and grilled or stewed meat.

What it really is

Tutu de feijão is made by cooking carioca or other common beans until soft, then mashing them with a little of their cooking liquid, garlic and onion, and stirring in cassava flour (farinha de mandioca) until the mixture becomes a stiff, dense paste. Some cooks finish it with a little pork fat or bacon and a spoon of olive oil or lard, which adds flavour and gloss. The texture is closer to a thick mash than to a soup, and it is spooned or shaped beside the plate rather than poured.

It is often confused with feijão tropeiro, which is a loose, toasted mixture of beans, cassava flour, bacon and eggs. Tutu is smooth and cohesive, with the beans reduced to a paste, while tropeiro keeps the beans whole and is cooked dry in a pan. Tutu is also distinct from the bean stew feijoada, which is a long-cooked dish of several meats.

How it's served

Served as a side with white rice, collard greens or couve refogada, and grilled or stewed meat.
Spooned onto the plate in a mound beside the main protein and mixed with the rice and sauce.
Often accompanied by pork cracklings, fried eggs or a simple salad in home and regional cooking.
Eaten warm; the paste firms as it cools and is usually reheated with a little water or stock.

Write as Tutu de feijão (bean purée with cassava flour) to identify the dish and its Minas Gerais origin.
Name the main ingredients: beans, cassava flour, garlic and bacon or pork fat, since the dish often contains pork.
State that the classic version contains pork fat or bacon and is not suitable for vegetarian or vegan guests unless a version is made without it.
Mention the typical accompaniments, such as rice, couve and grilled meat, and that cassava flour is naturally gluten-free.

Typical ingredients

Put it on your menu with Menuella

Frequently asked questions

What is Tutu de feijão?: A thick Brazilian purée of cooked beans, manioc flour and garlic, served as a side with rice and meat, most often in Minas Gerais.
Where does Tutu de feijão come from?: Tutu de feijão — country of origin: Brazil.
What is Tutu de feijão made of?: Black bean, cassava flour, garlic, onion, bacon, olive oil.
Which allergens does Tutu de feijão contain?: The classic recipe carries none of the 14 EU allergens.
What is Tutu de feijão also known as?: Tutu mineiro, Tutu de feijão mineiro, Feijão tropeiro purée.