Aracajé is a typical snack of Bahia, a coastal state in northeast Brazil. It is not just any old deep-fried snack, but one with a history and traditions that date from the time of slavery. In 2005, the oficio de baianas de aracajé [the working environment of the aracajé vendors] was recognised by Brazil's Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artistico Nacional [IHPAN] as an "Immaterial patrimony of Brazilian culture".
What is the deep fried snack aracajé?
Aracajé is a mixture of mashed black-eyed beans, onions and shrimp fried in dendê [palm oil]. To eat it following local custom, you allow the baiana de aracajé to pour spicy pastes, vatapá and caruru, over the aracajé after it has been cut in halves. The snack is topped off with a salad and costs around 4 or 5 reais [about 3 US dollars].
History and traditions of the snack aracajé in Bahia
The snack was brought to northeast Brazil by slaves from western Africa and during slavery aracajé was sold in the streets of Bahia by freed female slaves. Apart from being a daily snack aracajé was, and is, offered to the saints and gods during religious candomblé ceremonies.
Aracajé cannot be prepared by just anybody. Since the origin of the snack it has been made and sold by women only, a tradition kept until today. With this tradition comes the vendor's fancy dress that also dates from the time of slavery, and which continued to be a common dress in Bahia until into the 20th century.
Nowadays the Bahian dress is only worn during festivals, by women in the streets of Salvador da Bahia to lure tourists into their shop, and by baianas de aracajé.
Traditional dress of the vendors of aracajé: the baianas de aracajé
The elaborate, multi-layered dress is a reminder of baroque Europe, while the headdress is related to the slaves' Afro-Islamic roots, where turbans are a usual part of the local dress. The type of texture, the weaving technique and the colours of the costume used to identify the religion, the ethnic background and social status of the wearer of the dress. Whereas it may come in a variety of beautiful printed fabrics, the dress of the baianas de aracajé is traditionally white.
The dress consists of various layers:
- Anáguas, the petticoat.
- Saia, the five-metres long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist to form a billowing skirt.
- Camizo, the long cotton pants worn underneath the anáguas.
- A bodice of lace or with embroidery.
Typical of the Bahian dress are:
- Renda, the lace with which the anáguas are trimmed.
- Fita, a different type of lace used to decorate the textiles.
- Pano da costa, or pano-da-alaká, shawls which nowadays are hardly worn anymore.
- The finishing touch of the costume is an abundance of jewellery.
Aracajé food stalls in Salvador de Bahia, northeast Brazil
Arguably the most acclaimed acarajé tabuleiro [acarajé food stall] in Salvador da Bahia is Casa da Dinho do Acarajé, which – apart from excellent aracajé – stands out for its colonial setting. The founder of the tabuleiro passed away in 2008, and the business is now run by her family.
Casa da Dinha: Largo de Santana in the Rio Vermelho district. Tel: (71) 3334-1703, opening hours daily 8-11:30pm / Fri-Sun noon-3:30pm.
Going out for aracajé is a long-standing Bahian tradition, with families going out at night to savour a tasty aracajé. In Salvador da Bahia each neighbourhood has its own aracajé tabuleiro. Some are equipped with just a kitchenette where you eat standing up, whereas others have extended their stalls with wooden benches and trestle tables covered with lace cloths. To a lesser extent you'll find aracajé food stalls elsewhere in Brazil as well.
Traditions of the Brazilian Cuisine
Going out to eat is an important part of the Brazilian food culture. Each region has its own typical Brazilian cuisine and tasting local food may be a valuable experience in learning about local [sub] cultures within the country.
These articles tell you more about Brazilian dishes and food traditions:
- Brazilian Dishes of White Beans, Black Beans and Feijoada
- Brazilian cuisine – Mariscos in Brazilian Seafood Restaurants
- Where to Eat in Brazil – Brazilian Restaurants
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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