Acaraje in New York

ACARAJE DA BAHIA
Typical Brazilian Food - Culinaria Baiana

The acarajés are small cakes, made of black-eyed peas, seasoned with ground dried shrimp and onions, are shaped into balls and deep fried in dendê (palm oil). It is served split in half and then stuffed with vatapá and caruru – spicy pastes made from shrimp, cashews, palm oil and other ingredients.
A vegetarian version is also available, typically served with hot peppers and green tomatoes.

Acarajés are traditionally encountered in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, especially in the city of Salvador, it is made and sold by women in Bahia and has been declared "heritage culture" of this region of Brazil.





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History of Bahian Cuisine

Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador, or more properly, São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos and also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the country and in the New World.

Bahia was the center of the sugar cultivation from the 16^th to 18^th centuries. Integral to the sugar economy was the importation of a vast number of African slaves; more than 37% of all slaves taken from Africa were sent to Brazil, mostly to be processed in Bahia before being sent to work in plantations elsewhere in the country. Today over 80% of the population in Salvador has Black African ancestry. Salvador's historical and cultural aspects were inherited by the combination of such ethnic groups as Native-Indian, African, and European. This mixture can be seen in the religion, colorful cuisine, cultural expressions, and the customs of Bahia's people.

The local cuisine, spicy and based on seafood (shrimp, fish), strongly relies on typically African ingredients and techniques, and is much appreciated throughout Brazil and internationally. The most typical ingredient is dendê, an oil extracted from a palm tree brought from West Africa to Brazil during colonial times. Some of the traditional dishes of Salvador de Bahia cuisine are abará, acarajé, vatapá, bobó-de-camarão baiana, moqueca and caruru.

This video shows one of my friends in Guarajuba Beach - Bahia, showing her process of making acaraje... watch and enjoy, axe!!!