When Seu Antônio strolls along the sands of Ondina and Farol da Barra, there’s no ear left untouched by the parodies he sings while preparing cheese skewers on his stove. It’s hard to find a friendlier vendor on those beaches. In his childhood, he experienced hunger and “ate dry flour with cold water.” Thirty years ago, he left his job as a bricklayer to sell “queijo coalho” (a type of cheese) “because it makes more money.” No wonder, the delicacy has been a favorite in the Northeast for over 300 years — it is said to have originated in the mid-17th century when travelers in the backlands carried milk stored in bags, which eventually coagulated and gave rise to “queijo coalho.” Seu Antônio’s cheese skewers are also popular because he values quality: he has been buying from the same supplier for decades, cutting and skewering each stick himself. “The less salty the cheese, the tastier it is and it sells faster. It gets baked and melted,” he advises. Afterward, you just put it on the fire and bring joy to the beach.