The saga of the influencer from Rio who created a rating with 182 “salgados da Gema”

Priscilla Correa, 40, who has a degree in psychology and gastronomy, traveled all the way with her partner Rosa Castro, 50, recording every experience on the social media page “Já Comi Rio”, created in 2021 as a hobby in which the two devote themselves to publishing reviews of restaurants in the city. Each of the 182 knees received a video for flavor analysis, and the project, which cost about R$4,000, took 11 months to complete.

Bay says the idea came from followers on social media, after he devoted himself to finding the best coxinha in Rio de Janeiro in 2024, in a classification that included 61 options. This year, the public chose Knee, in a project that will be three times larger. The hammer has been hammered: the search for the best bread dough stuffed with ham and cheese has begun.

What criteria were evaluated?

Whoever thinks that the result for each knee has been given without a detailed basis is mistaken. The first criterion that Pi Corrêa evaluated was the mass of the delicious product: whether the fermentation was correct, which affects the flavor and texture, whether it had enough moisture and whether it was toasted to the point of tasting.

As for the filling, it analyzed the appropriate quantity and quality, the density of fat, and of course the flavor. The other criterion was cost and benefit. Only the classic version of the knee with cheese and ham was taken into account.

– I looked at the issue of size, quality and price, always taking into account the location, because it affects the value, and finally the taste as a whole: whether the flavors are balanced, without deficiency or exaggeration – said the influencer, who reinforced her commitment to maintaining a fair evaluation of the delicacy.

The places visited were chosen based on recommendations from followers. According to her, the surprising factor was the relationship between price and product quality. The most expensive options don’t necessarily guarantee the best flavor.

– The most expensive of the worst! In fact, the last place (in the ranking) was one of the most expensive. And there’s no doubt that to eat a good knee, you have to leave the more noble circle that food profiles usually record. Priscilla revealed that Zona Norte and Baixada were the best ever.

According to Priscilla, the initial goal was to try a hundred rides, but followers recommended so many places that the goal became to know all the possible suggestions for a car trip. In this way, the boundaries were expanded: she and her partner, who photographed the reviews, left the urban area of ​​Rio and went to Pirai, in the Vale do Paraíba, just to try a snack.

Posts about the best knees raised questions in the comments about the name of the salty dish. In Niteroi, it identifies as Italian and was inscribed on the city’s intangible cultural heritage list in December 2022. “Here we don’t sell knees, we sell Italian. On another level,” one comment on the profile read. “First of all, from the bridge here, he is Italian,” another Internet user posted. Another cultural highlight of the city is the custom of serving seasoned mayonnaise as a side dish, Priscilla noted.

– People here in the capital city of Rio have always treated this label in a playful way, even because of its possible origin “because it is under the coccinia in the greenhouse”, it has never been taken seriously at all. In Niteroi, the naming issue is already relevant, even many people were offended by my recording of the “best knee” in the Italian land. In Niteroi, this has a different weight – commented the influencer.

Which knee was voted best?

“Delicious, light dough that melts in the mouth with that perfect sweet touch. Generous amount of filling: you can taste the cheese and ham in every bite. We have an excellent knee, one of the best I have ever tasted,” reads the post’s description of what Priscilla chose as the best knee in Rio de Janeiro. These are the delicacies found at Vascão snack bar in Madureira.

See below how the top 15 looked in the rankings:

• The 15th Old Salted Food – Nilopolis – R$8.00
• Panteria XIV – Mayer – R $ 8.99
• 13° O Guelhão – Nilopolis, R$8.90
• Baking Studio XII – Niteroi – R$9.95
• Salgados 11th Booth – Duque de Caxias – R$9.00
• 10th Doce Sensação – Mosque – R$8.00
• Danúbio Azul 9th ​​Bakery – del Castilho – R$9.00
• The Eighth Fudge – Corisica – R$10.00
• His Highness’s Seventh Snacks – Duque de Caxias – R$11.00
• Rafael VI – Tijuca – R$ 11.00
• Guanabara V Bakery – Bras de Pina – R$6.50
• 4th Bar da Jima – Maracana – 10.00 Brazilian reals
• Pasta House III – Cacambi – R$6.50
• The Second Fairy Godmother – Sao Cristovao – R$ – 8.00
• Vascoo I – Madureira – R$ 10.00