Geiziane was the next to youngest of six children in their large Brazilian family. Growing up, the kitchen was always the heart of their home, where her mother and grandmother taught her how to cook traditional Brazilian dishes. But Geiziane’s favorite treat to make was always brigadeiros.
She loved the process of making the sweet chocolate balls from scratch, experimenting with different flavors and toppings. As she got older, she would make brigadeiro for family events and parties, and everyone would always ask for her recipe.
Geiziane, who goes by the nickname Geize (prounounced JZ), always had a dream of opening her own brigadeiro candy store. She loved the idea of sharing her passion for Brazilian food culture with others, and introducing them to the delicious treats she grew up eating.
After moving to the United States as a nanny for another Brazilian family, she was still cooking some of her favorite traditional dishes for the children. It wasn’t easy starting a new life in a foreign country where she only knew the most basics of the language, but she was determined to learn and to flourish in her new home. She soon met and fell in love with her husband Tony, who is in the tech field and also comes from a large family having four brothers, and they’ve welcomed a daughter who is joining mom in the kitchen learning how to make delicious Brazilian dishes.
pic of JZ and Mary cooking
Soon, Geize took her love of her favorite Brazilian candy and started making and gifting it to friends and family. She worked hard and saved money and started Mrs. Bites. Customers were delighted by the wide variety of flavors on offer and the traditional way brigadeiros are hand-made by Geize. Her brigadeiro have become so popular in her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, that she began shipping the candies all across the United States.
Geiziane is incredibly proud to be able to share a little piece of her home with people from all over the world through her love of cooking, and making this traditional candy to bring a delicious taste of Brazil to her new community.
JZ’s brigadeiros are not only a delicious sweet but also a cultural experience that brings people together, allowing customers to indulge in delicious treats while learning more about Brazil and its rich food culture.