São Paulo – Pão de queijo, brigadeiro, and chicken coxinha made by chef Ana Paula Lima have already found their way onto the tables and at events of those living in Cairo, Egypt—whether Brazilian, Egyptian, or from other countries. Since November last year, the chef has expanded her business with the opening of a shop and snack bar, where she serves walk-in customers and prepares the orders she receives. In August this year, she took another step in her career when she was invited to apply for and take part in the reality show Million Pound Menu Egypt, which features a competition among chef-entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses.
She and her husband lived in Egypt between 2014 and 2015, before returning to Brazil. In 2017, the couple moved permanently to Cairo. In 2020, Lima founded the Brazilian Table platform alongside other Brazilian entrepreneurs in the Arab country. For various reasons, her partners in the initiative returned to Brazil, and she continued with the project and expanded its activities. In November last year, she opened a Brazilian Table shop and snack bar in the Heliopolis neighborhood of Cairo.
At the venue’s six tables, the chef serves customers who stop by for filtered coffee, cakes, or Brazilian treats. From this address also come carrot cakes, risoles, and cheese balls, among other savory and sweet items typical of Brazil. The orders, says the chef and entrepreneur, serve embassies and many international schools based in Cairo.
Two factors led her to move production from her home to the new space: rising demand and the need, under local regulations, to have a brick-and-mortar commercial location for the production and sale of food. She is supported by two Egyptian employees: a cook and a manager. This year, Lima began appearing on television and taking part in more events, which she believes will bring greater visibility to her business and to Brazilian flavors in Cairo.
The recording took place in late September. The episodes in which she appears will air in January, but Lima has already noticed increased exposure from the show’s announcements alone. The program is broadcast on two free-to-air television channels and a local streaming platform. Taking part in the show was not in her plans, but she was approached by the production team. She had to develop an expansion project for Brazilian Table in a three-year business plan. “It was one of the biggest challenges of my life,” she says.
Brazilian recipes, halal ingredients
In November, she was invited by the Brazilian Embassy in Cairo to take part in Food Africa 2025, the country’s largest food fair of the year. There, she presented Brazilian recipes during the Live Cooking Show. No matter how Brazilian her dishes may be, the chef works exclusively with halal products. “The Brazilian cuisine I practice carries the halal seal, which is part of my identity and respects different ways of consuming food,” she says. “I source [the ingredients] locally rather than bringing them from abroad, and that has been very well received,” she adds.
The Brazilian Table menu even includes vegan options. Among the items for sale are chicken empadinhas, beef and corn risoles, beijinho, bicho de pé, and bolo de fubá.
The chef says there is currently a favorable environment for Brazilian companies in Egypt because the two countries have a free trade agreement through Mercosur and because diplomatic relations between them are positive. This has helped facilitate business deals between Brazilian and Egyptian companies. Lima has already begun to look at opportunities in other Arab countries. In the first half of this year, she took part in Gulfood, the Middle East’s largest food fair, held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
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Brazil’s pão de queijo on the tables of Cairo
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
