Continue the journey
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Lots of love!
Mei and Benjamin
Pão de Queijo Earrings
Brazil Collection
Inspiration: Pão de queijo
Materials: Gold, warm-tone gemstone
Craft Detail: Rounded baked-texture studs
Region: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Dish Profile: Savory, soft, lightly chewy
Inspiration
This piece draws from pão de queijo, a well-known Brazilian cheese bread with a soft, chewy interior and a lightly crisp golden exterior. Its warm color, rounded shape, and subtle surface texture guided the design of the stud element, which mirrors the bread’s characteristic baked form. The warm-tone gemstone below reflects the toasted hues seen in pão de queijo when it comes fresh from the oven. Originating in Minas Gerais, the dish is typically made with cassava starch and local cheese, mixed into small rounds and baked until puffed and golden — a simple preparation that informed the piece’s clean, minimal aesthetic.
Discovery
Mei and Benjamin first encountered pão de queijo at a family-run bakery in Belo Horizonte during their regional research. Benjamin noted the bread’s distinct rounded silhouette, while Mei examined the subtle dimples and natural variations in its baked surface. This observation shaped their decision to incorporate a soft, organically textured stud. Later, they experimented with gemstone options in their field notebooks, comparing tones to the bread’s warm interior and adjusting the gold finish to capture its characteristic glow.
Travel Diary
During one visit, a baker showed Mei and Benjamin how to roll the dough using light, circular motions to achieve the smooth, round shape. On another morning, they accidentally purchased a batch made with a local cheese variation, which became their color reference for the final gemstone.
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