Acarajé
/akaɾaˈʒɛ/noun
A Brazilian fritter made from seasoned black-eyed-pea batter, traditionally fried in dendê palm oil.
Did you know?Acarajé is associated with the Afro-Brazilian orixá Iansã, and in Bahia it has long been prepared both as everyday food and in Candomblé offerings.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
àkàrà
“A fritter or cake made from ground beans”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
jẹ̀
“To eat”
19th Century
Yoruba/Brazilian Portuguese
àkàrà-jẹ́
“Literally, “eat akara”; the compound name for the bean fritter”
19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
acarajé
“A fried black-eyed-pea cake, especially associated with Bahia”
Modern English
English
acarajé
“A Brazilian bean fritter and Afro-Brazilian culinary specialty”
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