Yoki Canjica Cristal 400g

The Canjica Cristal Yoki is the soul of Brazilian June Festivals (Festas Juninas) — that creamy, comforting sweet that marks the June celebrations across Brazil.

Made with selected, hulled white maize, Canjica is a genuinely Brazilian ingredient, unknown outside the country, offering an authentic and unique culinary experience.

Canjica Yoki, Brazil's most trusted canjica brand, offers Type 1 grains (the highest quality classification), ensuring even cooking and consistent flavour.

Cook in no time and transform into a delicious dessert with condensed milk, coconut milk, chocolate, or sugar syrup.

With Viva o Sabor, you bring the tradition of the June Festivals to your table in Europe, with fast delivery to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

What Is Canjica?

Canjica is a traditional sweet dish that is completely Brazilian, enjoyed especially during the June Festivals (Festas Juninas).

It is made with hulled white maize kernels cooked slowly until soft and creamy, then sweetened with syrup or condensed milk. The result is a comforting, creamy, and deliciously traditional sweet.

Canjica is so important in Brazilian culture that virtually every June Festival celebration (Santo Antônio, São João, São Pedro) offers canjica as a dessert.

Each region has its own variations — some with coconut milk, others with condensed milk, some with chocolate — but all follow the same principle: white maize cooked until tender.

Unlike other grains (such as popcorn maize, hominy maize, or maize for broth), canjica is a specific type of hulled white maize that cooks quickly and provides the perfect texture for this dessert.

There is no exact equivalent in Europe — it is a unique and authentically Brazilian product.

In het Nederlands: Canjica is een Braziliaans zoet gerecht gemaakt van wit maïs dat langzaam wordt gekookt totdat het romig is. Het is een traditioneel dessert van de Juni-feesten (Festa Junina) in Brazilië. Het smaakt naar comfort en tradities.

In English: Canjica is a traditional Brazilian corn dessert made from white corn kernels cooked slowly until creamy and tender. It's a comfort food essential to Brazilian June Festivals. The result is a sweet, creamy, soul-warming dish that tastes like home to every Brazilian.

Why Choose Canjica Yoki?

• ✔️ Type 1 — The highest quality classification. Selected, uniform grains
• ✔️ Genuine white maize — Specifically hulled for canjica, not a substitute
• ✔️ Quick cooking — Premium quality means even cooking in a consistent time
• ✔️ Authentic flavour — Brazil's best-selling and most trusted canjica brand
• ✔️ Gluten-free — 100% white maize, naturally gluten-free (may contain traces of soya)
• ✔️ Practical size — A 400g pack is enough to make canjica for 6–8 people
• ✔️ Ready to cook — Already hulled; simply cook and season to taste

How to Make Canjica — The Traditional Recipe

Canjica is simple to make, but requires time and patience to achieve the perfect creaminess:

Basic Ingredients:

• 1 cup of canjica (400g Yoki)
• 2 litres of milk (whole milk, recommended)
• 1 tin of condensed milk (397g)
• 1 cup of coconut milk (or single cream)
• Ground cinnamon (to taste)
• Cloves (optional)
• Sugar (to taste)

Method:

1. Rinse the canjica — Place in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Canjica releases a powder (starch) — rinsing is important to prevent the syrup from becoming cloudy.
2. Cook in water — In a large saucepan, place the canjica in 3–4 cups of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the grains begin to open.
3. Add milk — When the grains have opened (they appear to have a "white eye"), gradually add 2 litres of milk, stirring well to prevent scorching on the bottom.
4. Cook slowly — Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 1–2 hours, stirring frequently (every 15 minutes). The canjica will become increasingly creamy.
5. Season — When it reaches a creamy porridge consistency, add:
   • Condensed milk (1 tin or more, according to desired sweetness)
   • Coconut milk or single cream (1 cup) for extra creaminess
   • Ground cinnamon, cloves (optional)
   • Sugar if more sweetness is needed
6. Finish — Cook for a further 15–20 minutes, stirring constantly. When ready (creamy, soft grains, with a thick porridge consistency), remove from the heat.
7. Serve — Warm or cold, according to preference. Can be garnished with cinnamon, flaked almonds, or desiccated coconut.

Total Time: Approximately 3–4 hours (the majority of which is slow cooking).

Tip: The creaminess of the canjica — that is, allowing it to become very thick and smooth — is the secret. The longer it cooks and the more milk you add, the creamier it becomes.

Regional Variations of Canjica

In Brazil, each region has its own way of making canjica:

• 🥥 Canjica with Coconut Milk — Popular in the Northeast and North. Light, refreshing, and tropical
• 🍫 Canjica with Chocolate — Popular in Minas Gerais. Adds cocoa powder or melted chocolate
• 🥛 Canjica with Condensed Milk — The sweetest and creamiest version. Popular throughout the country
• 🍮 Canjica with Sugar Syrup — A caramelised version, for those who prefer less milk
• 🍞 Canjica with Biscuit — Some versions add tapioca or cornflour biscuits
• 🌰 Canjica with Peanuts — Adds ground or whole peanuts for texture

The base is always the same — maize cooked until tender — but the variations are endless depending on regional and personal preference.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 50 g (approximately 1/3 teacup — dry canjica)

*Nutrient Reference Values based on a 2,000 kcal diet. Values are for dry canjica; when cooked with milk, condensed milk, and other ingredients, the caloric value increases depending on the recipe.

Note: The values above are for dry canjica. When prepared according to the traditional recipe (with milk, condensed milk, coconut milk), the final value is considerably higher — a serving of prepared canjica is approximately 250–300 kcal, as the dessert incorporates all the sweetened ingredients.

Ingredients

White maize canjica (containing genes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus thuringiensis, Streptomyces viridochromogenes, and Zea mays).

Gluten-free. May contain traces of soya.

Product Details

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is canjica? Canjica is a traditional Brazilian sweet made from hulled white maize kernels cooked slowly with milk, condensed milk, and other ingredients until creamy.

It is a typical dessert of the June Festivals (Festas Juninas — the June celebrations in Brazil). There is no exact equivalent in Europe.

Is canjica the same as polenta? No. Although both are made from maize, polenta is made from finely ground maize flour (fubá) and has a smooth, creamy texture that is quite different.

Canjica is made from whole hulled white maize kernels, offering a grainy texture with soft grains — very different from polenta.

Is canjica the same as popcorn? No. Canjica is a specific type of hulled white maize selected for slow cooking and creaminess.

Popcorn maize is a completely different variety that cannot be used to make canjica.

How long does it take to make canjica? The total cooking time is approximately 3–4 hours: around 1 hour for the grains to open in water, then 2–3 hours of slow cooking with milk until creamy. There are no shortcuts — canjica requires time and patience.

Can canjica be frozen? Yes. Prepared canjica can be frozen in suitable containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge the night before and reheat over a low heat, adding milk if necessary (the cold concentrates the consistency).

What is the difference between white canjica and yellow canjica? White canjica (Yoki Cristal) is made from white maize. Yellow canjica also exists, made from yellow maize. White canjica is more traditional and more commonly associated with June Festivals. Both offer a similar texture when cooked.

Do I need to sieve or rinse canjica before cooking? Yes, it is advisable to rinse it in a sieve under cold running water. Canjica releases a powder (starch) — rinsing prevents the syrup from becoming too thick and cloudy. It is not strictly necessary, but it improves the final result.

Where can I buy Brazilian canjica in the Netherlands? At Viva o Sabor (vivaosabor.com), your Brazilian products store with fast delivery to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Wat is canjica? Canjica is een traditioneel Braziliaans nagerecht gemaakt van witte mais die langzaam wordt gekookt met melk en gecondenseerde melk totdat het romig is. Het is een essentieel dessert van de Juni-feesten (Festa Junina) in Brazilië.

Where can I buy Brazilian canjica in Europe? You can buy Canjica Cristal Yoki (400g, Type 1) at Viva o Sabor (vivaosabor.com), a Brazilian products store with fast delivery across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourgo.

The Canjica Cristal Yoki brings the tradition of the June Festivals to your table. Shop at Viva o Sabor and experience the taste of Brazil.