Acarajé
Acarajé, originating from the Yoruba people in West Africa (Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon), bears a resemblance to Arabic falafel from the Middle East. This delicacy was introduced to Africa by the Arabs in several incursions between the 7th and 19th centuries, adapting to black-eyed peas. During the Atlantic slave trade, acarajé arrived in Brazil brought by enslaved people. Manuel Querino, in his ethnographic description in the book "A arte culinary na Bahia" (1916), details the process of preparing black-eyed peas. Acarajé, easily found in Salvador, is a fritter fried in palm oil, made with black-eyed peas, salt, garlic, ginger, onion and stuffed with shrimp. The question "hot or cold" refers to the pepper level, indicating the desired degree of spiciness. The "hotter", the spicier the acarajé will be... Did you know?