Acaraje: a fried ball of black eyed pea mush fried in dende oil. Synonym: gut bomb that I like and hate all at once. We went down to eat Acaraje (Ah-kah-ruh-ZHAY) at a popular spot in town, in the neighborhood of Rio Vermelho. There are 2 acaraje stands there---Acaraje de Dinha, the most famous, and Acaraje de Regina, seemingly more revered by locals. I think the locals may be swayed by the fact that Regina has a small T.V. behind her stand that is tuned in to the telenovelas. So, you can get your acaraje on and keep up with the latest telenovela in one grand evening. Although, to be honest, I would not recommend eating acaraje in the evening--I learned that the hard way. It is "heavy food" as many people here have told me. I like it. I don't love it---though many people seem to--but when in Bahia, you have to try it. It is kind of like a giant falafel ball stuffed with shrimp and vatapa (vah-tah-PAH), a thick sauce made with shrimp, nuts...you'll have to ask Regina. Or Dinha.... and can be served with a spicy sauce that resembles salsa. I do appreciate the spice as Brazilian food in general does not have much of that. So, when you visit, bring your Pepto-Bismol and we'll head on down to visit Regina. You cannot visit Bahia without trying acaraje.
No comments:
Post a Comment