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Salvador, Bahia Gastronomy Salvador Bahia Gateway About Bahia Bahia's Hotels Must Do's Gastronomy Around & About Some Don'ts Shopping   Cultural stuff

Although Bahian cooking has influences from both the Portuguese colonists and the native Brasilian Indians, the most important influence on Bahian cuisine came from the Africans, who brought with them their style of cooking, and African herbs and spices. This cuisine generously uses malagueta chili peppers and dende (palm oil).

One of the most popular dishes is moqueca, a seafood mixture (usually shrimp but perhaps also with other seafood) cooked in a sauce of coconut milk, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, dende, and served with rice. Or try the ensopado, which is the same as moqueca without the palm oil (which can be heavy on the stomach).

Other traditional stews are vatapa, seafood or chicken with dende oil, coconut, peanuts and green pepper, and caruru de camarao, containing fresh and dried shrimp as well as sliced okra.

Colorful street vendors sell the famous acaraje, a bean dumpling deep-fried in palm oil.

Many dishes are served with a hot malagueta sauce which is sometimes added directly to the dish. Until you get used to the strong flavors of dende and malagueta, if asked if you like your food hot it is best to answer no. Hotels tend to go a little easier on the dende and may be a good place to start.