Acarajé de Vatapá
/akaɾaˈʒɛ dʒi vataˈpa/noun
A Brazilian Afro-Bahian dish consisting of a fried black-eyed-pea fritter filled or served with vatapá, a rich seasoned paste or stew.
Did you know?Acarajé has deep associations with Candomblé and is traditionally offered to the orixá Iansã, while baianas de acarajé preserve both its culinary and religious heritage.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial West Africa
Yoruba
àkàrà
“A bean fritter or fried bean cake.”
Precolonial West Africa
Yoruba
jẹ
“To eat; this element appears in the Brazilian form acarajé.”
18th–19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
acarajé
“A fried bean fritter brought into Afro-Brazilian culinary culture through the Yoruba diaspora.”
19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
vatapá
“A thick Bahian dish of bread or manioc, coconut milk, oil, nuts, and seasonings; its precise African etymology remains uncertain.”
Modern Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese
acarajé de vatapá
“Acarajé served with or filled with vatapá.”
Modern English
English
acarajé de vatapá
“An Afro-Brazilian Bahian street-food dish known internationally through Brazilian cuisine.”