Festa da Quitanda 2012 in Cocais, MG
1st Festa da Quitanda – Cheese and Quitanda Contest
On May 19 and 20, 2012, the traditional Colonial Village of Cocais, in Barão de Cocais, hosted the 1st Festa da Quitanda (quitandas are traditional homemade baked goods from Minas Gerais), an event that marked the beginning of one of the best-loved food celebrations of the Serra do Caraça.
Promoted by the Barão de Cocais City Hall, through the Departments of Culture and Tourism and Economic Development, in partnership with EMATER-MG, the SIM (Municipal Inspection Service) and the Rural Workers' Union, the festival was created to value artisanal flavors and strengthen the region's cultural identity.
With a varied program and the involvement of the local community, the event highlighted the talent of the quitandeiras (women who make quitandas), rural producers and artisans, who brought to life stalls full of colors, aromas and stories.
Saturday: the taste of Minas Gerais roots
The festival began on Saturday, May 19, at 4 p.m., with the official opening and the stalls selling quitandas, cheeses, cachaças and local handicrafts.
At the food court, visitors enjoyed typical Minas Gerais dishes such as bean fritters, angu (cornmeal) pastries, sausage sandwiches and homemade sweets, made with the care and hospitality characteristic of Cocais.
At 5 p.m., the 1st Cheese Contest began, bringing together producers from the region who presented their best artisanal cheeses. Then, at 6 p.m., the duo Totó e Juju entertained the audience with a show full of joy and good music.
At 8:30 p.m., the winners of the Cheese Contest were announced, followed by a moving performance by the "Barão no Luar" Serenade Group, which closed the first day with the romance of traditional Minas Gerais songs.
Sunday: the birth of the quitanda tradition
Sunday (May 20) began at 9 a.m., with the stalls reopening and the food and cultural program resuming.
The high point of the day was the 1st Quitanda Contest, at 11 a.m., which gave rise to the tradition that would become a symbol of Barão de Cocais in the following years.
Quitandeiras from across the region took part with recipes handed down from generation to generation — breads, broas (cornbread), biscuits, cakes and ring breads — each carrying the flavor and history of local families.
At noon, the duo Sérgio e Delson performed as part of the 1st Cocais Seniors' Gathering, bringing joy and fun to the audience.
The award ceremony for the winning quitandeiras took place at 2:30 p.m., recognizing the talent and dedication of these women who keep the essence of Minas Gerais cooking alive.
The festival closed at 4 p.m., with a sense of accomplishment and the taste of success of a tradition that had just been born.
Cocais: cradle of tradition and flavor in the Serra do Caraça
Located in the heart of the Serra do Caraça, the district of Cocais is one of the most charming and well-preserved places in Barão de Cocais.
With its colonial houses, historic churches and cobblestone streets, the village has a charm that recalls the days of the gold cycle, blending faith, history and hospitality.
The 2012 Festa da Quitanda not only revealed the community's culinary potential but also reinforced Cocais as an important cultural and rural tourism destination in Minas Gerais.
From this first edition, the event grew stronger, evolving over the following years and incorporating the Festival da Goiabada (Guava Paste Festival), which is now a reference throughout the Serra do Caraça region.
