It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s made with tapioca and coconut and topped with sugar and cinnamon after it’s fried.
Bolinho de Estudante (Student Cake) used to be a hit on the table of women from Bahia who sold delicacies at the doors of schools. It is so famous that it has already found its way into the pages of the novel The War of the Saints, by the Brazilian writer Jorge Amado.
“Romélia knew her, gave her a blessing and joked about the real name of the so-called student cake. How is it, Aunt Romélia? And don’t you know, girl? Look, you know very well, the name is wank, student cake is the pronunciation of idiots.” (“The War of the Saints”, 1988)