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Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
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Fish & Seafood
Food Flavour DNA
Nutritional Values
380kcal
13gProtein
32gCarbs
25gFat
5gFibre
150 gServing
* Per serving · 150 g. May vary.
Allergens
🦐 Shellfish
Acarajé
How to order / say it
Say it
Acarajé — [ah-kah-rah-ZHEH]
Order
I'd like an acarajé, please.
Locally
Gostaria de um acarajé, por favor.
Say locally
Deep-fried bean fritters filled with vatapá and shrimp.
Why try it?
Acarajé holds religious and cultural importance in Afro-Brazilian communities, particularly in Rio's street food scene, closely tied to Candomblé spiritual celebrations and a taste of African heritage.
How it tastes
This street snack features a crisp crust with a soft, spiced interior, harmonized with a creamy, earthy flavor from vatapá, and the tender, sweet bite of shrimp.
Origin & History — first documented: 1850
Originating from the West African dish 'akara', acarajé arrived in Brazil with enslaved Africans, becoming popular by the 19th century. It is associated with Bahia state but found a beloved place in Rio's Afro-Brazilian diaspora.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 🫘 200 g black-eyed peas
- 🫒 200 ml dendê oil
- 🧄 1 large onion
- 🥕 100 g vatapá paste
- 🦐 100 g shrimp
- 🧂 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Method
- 1 Soak black-eyed peas, remove skins, and blend with onions to a paste.
- 2 Shape paste into balls, deep-fry in dendê oil until golden.
- 3 Slit open fritters, fill with vatapá paste.
- 4 Top with shrimps and serve hot.
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