Acarajé
/akaɾaˈʒɛ/noun
A Brazilian fritter made from seasoned black-eyed-pea paste, traditionally fried in dendê palm oil and often filled with spicy shrimp paste.
Did you know?Acarajé is strongly associated with Candomblé and is traditionally prepared and sold by baianas in garments connected to Afro-Brazilian religious culture.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
àkàrà
“A bean fritter or fried bean cake, especially one made from black-eyed-pea paste.”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
jẹ
“To eat.”
19th Century
Portuguese
acarajé
“A Portuguese-Brazilian rendering of the Yoruba expression àkàrà jẹ, “eat akara.””
19th–20th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
acarajé
“A culturally important Afro-Brazilian fritter sold as street food and used in Candomblé traditions.”
Modern English
English
acarajé
“A Brazilian black-eyed-pea fritter, often served with spicy fillings.”