For over ten years, after retiring, Seu José de Açucena walks for an hour from his home to the historic neighborhood of Jaraguá to sell the traditional quebra-queixo, a typical treat sold in the streets since the time of slavery. He offers two versions – the traditional one (made only with coconut) and one with peanuts. The name of the sweet, needless to say, comes from its chewy consistency. The laborious process of slowly cooking the mixture of coconut and sugar, without stopping stirring, means that there are fewer and fewer quebra-queixo sellers on the streets of the country. But Seu Açucena, who used to work in construction, perseveres. He grates dozens of coconuts, vigorously stirs the pot on the improvised wood-burning stove in his backyard, and sets up shop on a busy corner in downtown from Monday to Friday.