Moqueca
/moʊˈkɛkə/noun
A Brazilian seafood stew traditionally prepared with fish or shellfish, aromatics, and regional ingredients such as coconut milk or palm oil.
Did you know?Moqueca’s name is generally connected to Old Tupi cooking terminology, especially moquém, a wooden rack used for roasting or smoking food over fire.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Old Tupi
moka'ẽ
“To roast or cook over fire; the form is commonly proposed as the Indigenous source of the Portuguese word.”
Pre-colonial period
Old Tupi
moquém
“A wooden rack or framework used to roast or smoke meat and fish over a fire.”
16th–17th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
moquém
“An Indigenous-style roasting or smoking rack adopted into colonial Portuguese usage.”
18th–19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
moqueca
“A fish or seafood preparation associated with cooking in the manner of a moquém; the precise formation is debated.”
Modern English
English
moqueca
“A Brazilian seafood stew, especially associated with Bahian or Espírito Santo cuisine.”