The Traditional Fried Snack You Can Find At Starbucks In Brazil

The next time you're on your regular Starbucks run, it might very well be more fun if you've caught up on some of the bakery items on offer at different international Starbucks locations, or the chain's various beverages around the globe. It's always interesting to think about what we have to choose from compared to Starbucks patrons in, say, Thailand or Switzerland, and some treats might strike our fancy so much they inspire our next vacation. The international Starbucks item currently on our minds is especially unique, as it's a fried, savory delight pretty far removed from what we regularly see in American Starbucks. It's coxinhas.

Coxinhas are popular in Brazil, so it makes sense Starbucks wants to tap into local tastes. Coxinha translates to "little thigh," and the snack resembles chicken drumsticks. It's chicken and cream cheese mixed together, breaded, and deep-fried. You bite into the crispy, crunchy shell and find savory, juicy meat and rich, fatty cheese — it's a simple but dreamy creation. 

Coxinhas have been a Brazilian street food since the 1800s, and are available today in restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, including Starbucks. Fans have spotted the fried snack in Brazilian locations – they come in big paper cups, like mini fried chicken buckets, and Reddit users have favorably compared them to chicken pot pies and have also confirmed Starbucks happens to have especially good coxinhas even compared to other spots in Brazil.

The strategy for food and drink items at Starbucks locations in different countries seems to include a mix of common staples with items that are native to and popular in each country. Donuts, cinnamon rolls, croissants, and banana bread, for example, are things we'd expect to see in American Starbucks, and they're in the bakery at Brazilian locations, too. But coxinhas distinguish those Brazilian spots, alongside some other local favorites. For example, there's another well-loved street food you can get with your coffee, pão de queijo, essentially Brazilian cheese puffs. A bit similar to coxinhas, they've got a crisped bready shell to crack into to get to a doughy, fluffy center rich with cheese. 

On the actual coffee menu in Brazil, there's a Brigadeiro Frappuccino. Made with coffee, milk, regular and white mocha, syrup, and chocolate chips and topped with a special Brigadeiro sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles, this is a drinkable form of yet another Brazilian classic. Brigadeiros are like fudgy little bonbons made of condensed milk and cocoa powder, then rolled with different toppings, nuts, or spices — you can make them with chocolate and cinnamon, for instance. Edible chocolate straws have also been spotted at Brazilian Starbucks locations, which would perfect this decadent treat and, with some coxinhas and pão de queijo, would make for an ideal Brazilian snack time.