Pamonha (Portuguese pronunciation: [paˈmõȷ̃ɐ]) is a traditional Brazilian food. It is a paste made from fresh corn and milk, boiled wrapped in corn husks, turned into a dumpling. Variations may include coconut milk. Pamonhas can be savoury or sweet, the latter being the norm in Northeastern Brazil and in the state of Rio de Janeiro. They can be filled with cheese, sausage, minced meat, minced chicken, pepper or be natural. Roadside restaurants specializing in pamonha and other corn dishes are common in Northeast Region Brazil.
The name pamonha comes from Old Tupi language pa'muña meaning "sticky".
It is associated with Festa Junina winter celebrations.
The use of stewed corn husks as a container is said to have started in the 1960s, in the city of Piracicaba in the state of São Paulo. Starting from a small cottage business, Ms. Vasti Rodrigues opened the first pamonha factory in Piracicaba. She was followed by her sister Noemi, who by the 1970s was producing over 5000 pamonhas per day, besides other maize products such as curau and corn cakes. Their success was due in good part to Dirceu Bigelli, an entrepreneur who set up a fleet of vans to peddle the Piracicaba pamonhas all over the state. The vans would drive slowly through city streets, playing the same taped recording, over and over: