For over 40 years, every sunny day, Dona Maria Helena walks along the stretch of Ipanema Beach between posts 8 and 9, carrying her basket of snacks. She sells empadas, pastries, and sandwiches, but it was her cassava balls filled with jerked beef, codfish, and ground meat that gained fame. Her nickname became “Baiana da Farme” as she became a favorite among the LGBT community, who frequent the area in front of Farme de Amoedo Street. Everything is prepared at home in the Pavão-Pavãozinho community, with the help of her family, especially her niece Paulinha. Her almost 80 years of age don’t match the agility and energy with which she peels cassava, prepares the dough, and cooks the fillings. “Everyone says, I don’t know if it’s true, that my cassava balls are delicious,” she modestly says. Of course, they are, Dona Maria Helena. The proof is that her sales helped her buy the house where she lives.