Behind the brigadeiro: How a small Brazilian chocolate truffle carries a lifetime of meaning for a San Carlos woman
Mounds and Heath were my Halloween candies of choice as a kid, meaning I really only got two or three pieces of each in my jack-o-lantern bucket (possibly up to five if we count post-trick-or-treating trading).
That being said, Halloween was never really about eating candy for me. It was about the experience – getting creative with a costume, attempting to gather as much candy as possible and just hanging out with friends.
Food is much more than just food – it’s the stories behind the food.
This week, I talked with Renata Stoica, owner of tinyB chocolate. For Stoica, a small Brazilian chocolate truffle carries a lifetime of meaning. At 10 years old, she began making brigadeiro in Brazil to support her family. Now, she operates a successful Bay Area-based brigadeiro company with plans to open its first brick-and-mortar shop in San Mateo next month.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
How a tiny chocolate truffle changed San Carlos resident Renata Stoica’s life
Brigadeiro is much more than chocolate for Renata Stoica – it is a special part of her culture, from serving as her childhood livelihood to inspiring a passionate business reflecting her life’s story.
Popular grab-and-go spot comes to Palo Alto, how to get a free Halloween macaron and Pizzeria Cardamomo gives Redwood City a sneak peek
- Looking for a quick takeaway breakfast or lunch that’s nutritious and sustainably sourced? Proper Food, a San Francisco-based chain since 2014, just opened a new location in downtown Palo Alto.
- Greek restaurant Elia has expanded to San Carlos. The upscale eatery offers brunch, lunch and dinner, as well as live music seven days a week, according to The Daily Journal.
- Early-bird tickets are on sale now for Donato Enoteca’s 14th annual ENOTECA100 event on Dec. 7, featuring tastings of over 100 wines, a whole roast pig, cheese and charcuterie, wood-fired pizza and more.
- California’s commercial Dungeness crab season is delayed for the seventh consecutive year. Originally set to open Nov. 15, it now will be delayed until at least Dec. 1 to prevent humpback whale entanglement.
- Want a free Halloween-themed macaron? Show up dressed in costume to Oh Honey Macaron on Thursday for a complimentary treat.
- Pizzeria Cardamomo, expected to open in Redwood City in “a few weeks,” according to its Instagram, is now operating as a temporary dinner pop-up serving pasta and other Italian dishes until the restaurant’s pizza oven permit arrives.
- The city of San Carlos and bakery Made Out of Dough are hosting a Fall-mas Festival at the San Carlos Youth Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expect a selection of local small businesses selling food, crafts and art.
- Anton SV Patisserie, which opened its first brick and mortar in San Mateo earlier this month, is expanding to Stanford Shopping Center.
- Pelagic Fish Market in Half Moon Bay will expand to Pelagic Fish Market and Grill on Saturday, adding a restaurant to its fish market.
- Rise Woodfire, offering wood-fired rotisserie fare, soft opened its second location in Santa Clara on Monday.
Matcha drinks and desserts at Maruwu Seicha
I don’t remember exactly when or how I first became obsessed with matcha, but I adore its earthy and slightly bitter flavor and, of course, its gorgeous vibrant color.
In 2014, I went on a family trip to Japan and stumbled across the first matcha cafe I’d ever experienced, Saryo Tsujiri Tokyo Daimaru in Tokyo. I begged my family to eat there, and we ordered the most stunning matcha parfait I’ve ever eaten to this day. We went back the next day, and last year when I returned to Japan I made sure to visit again.
Matcha cafes are slowly popping up along the Peninsula, with Matcha Cafe Maiko in Santa Clara and Izumi Matcha in Cupertino both opening last year. Now Palo Alto finally has a matcha cafe, and while it doesn’t serve parfaits stacked high with matcha mochi, matcha jelly, matcha cake, matcha whipped cream and matcha ice cream (I miss it so bad), it does serve a variety of matcha beverages, gelato, soft serve and cheese tarts. Naturally, I stopped by downtown Palo Alto’s Maruwu Seicha and tried a few items.
For drinks, I ordered the mango matcha latte with snow top, a creamy foam made from cream cheese, milk, condensed milk and whipping cream ($7.50) and the hojicha latte with Okinawa boba ($7.20), both at 50% sweetness. The mango matcha latte was good, but didn’t blow me out of this world, especially considering the relatively steep price. The matcha was smooth, and the mango didn’t taste artificial. The sweetness was subtle, and the drink wasn’t cloying. The hojicha latte, on the other hand, was absolutely incredible, and I’ll definitely be back to order it again. Hojicha is a roasted green tea with a rich, nutty flavor. The drink was perfectly balanced, and the boba was fresh, chewy, soft and had a caramelized brown sugar flavor.
For dessert, I opted for the matcha no. 3 gelato ($7.40), which has a matcha concentration of 11.5%. I cannot emphasize enough how strong of a matcha flavor was packed into this gelato. I might even argue this gelato was more bitter than it was sweet. While I wasn’t even close to finishing the whole cup of it, I do think it’s a worthwhile experience for true matcha lovers. I also tried Maruwu Seicha’s Uji matcha cheese tart ($4.50), which tasted like matcha cheesecake with pie crust. The matcha flavor was pronounced, and the cheesecake was nice and tangy without being too sweet.
One thing of note is Maruwu Seicha does not have Wi-Fi, which I found a bit unexpected considering the cafe feel. Overall, I’m very happy to have a matcha cafe closer to home, but unless they start offering over-the-top matcha parfaits and matcha udon, it’s still a far cry from the matcha cafes of Japan.
Maruwu Seicha, 250 University Ave., Unit 101, Palo Alto; Instagram: @maruwuseichausa. Open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
To read my article on Maruwu Seicha, click here. To watch my review, follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.
Four favorite fall recipes from Peninsula chefs
Pear tarts, squash gratin, duck tagliatelle and Georgian eggplant stew? Don’t mind if we do.
FROM THE FOODIST
When you support local journalism, you support the Foodist
The Peninsula Foodist is proud to be a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, and as an independent and local news organization, we rely on reader support to bring you 100% original content focusing on the places where you live and work — and of course — eat out. Your support is needed now more than ever. Help sustain local journalism and the Peninsula Foodist by becoming a member. > SUPPORT US TODAY
About the Peninsula Foodist
We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.
Are you looking to reach locals interested in food and dining on the Peninsula? Learn about advertising in the
Peninsula Foodist newsletter.
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*
Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*
You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.
View this email in your browser
