 Àkàrà inNigeria | |
| Alternative names | Acara |
|---|---|
| Course | Street food |
| Place of origin | Nigeria |
| Associatedcuisine | Nigeria,Benin,Togo andBrazil |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Beans, deep-fried inpeanut oil orpalm oil |
Akara (Yoruba:àkàrà;Portuguese:acarajé,pronounced[akaɾaˈʒɛ]ⓘ) is a type offritter made fromcowpeas or beans (black-eyed peas) originated inNigeria, particularly from the Yoruba ethnic group inhabiting the southwestern part of the country. It is also prepared inBenin andTogo. It is known as "bean cake" in English. It is found throughoutWest African,Caribbean, andBrazilian cuisines. The dish is traditionally encountered inBrazil's northeastern state ofBahia, especially in the city ofSalvador. The dish was brought by enslaved Yoruba citizens fromWest Africa, and can still be found in various forms inNigeria,Benin andTogo.[1]
Akara is made from peeled beans (black-eyed peas), washed and ground with pepper, and other preferred seasonings, then beaten to aerate them, and deep-fried in small balls.[2][3] Akara is usually fried in peanut oil. It can also be fried in palm oil, which is called Akara Kengbe or Akara Elepo, though the groundnut oil fried akara is most popular and common.
Brazilian acarajé is made from raw and milledcowpeas that are seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped onions molded into the shape of a large scone anddeep-fried indendê with a wok-like pan in front of the customers.[1] It is served split in half and stuffed withvatapá andcaruru – spicy pastes made fromshrimp, groundcashews,palm oil and other ingredients.[4] Avegetarian version is typically served withhot peppers and greentomatoes. Acarajé can also comes in a second form called abará, where the nutritious ingredients are steamed instead of deep-fried, similar tomoi moi.
Àkàrà is aYoruba word meaning "pastry" or the dish itself.[5] TheBrazilian termacarajé, according to Márcio de Jagun, is derived from the phraseàkàrà n'jẹ, meaning "come and eatakara"; the phrase was used to call out to customers by women sellingakara on the street.[6][7]
Akara plays a significant role in theYoruba culture, as it is specially prepared when a person who has come of age (70 and above) dies. It is usually prepared in large quantities and distributed across every household close to the deceased.Akara also used to be prepared in large as a sign of victory, whenwarriors came back victorious from war. The women, especially the wives of the Warriors were to fryakara and distribute it to the villagers.
Acarajé serves as both a religious offering to the gods in theCandomblé religion and asstreet food.
Akara (as known in southwest Nigeria) is a recipe taken to Brazil by theenslaved peoples from theWest African coast. It is called "akara" by theYoruba people ofWest Africa, "kosai" by theHausa people of Nigeria, and "koose" inGhana. It is a popularbreakfast dish, eaten withmillet orcornpudding. In Nigeria,akara is commonly eaten with bread,custard,ogi (or eko), a type ofcornmeal made with fine corn flour.
In Sierra Leone,akara is composed of rice flour, mashed banana, baking powder, and sugar. After mixed together, it is dropped in oil by hand, and fried, similar toPuff-puff. It is then formed into a ball.Akara is usually prepared for events like Pulnado (event held due to the birth of a child), a wedding, funeral, or party.
Acarajé sold on the street in Brazil are variously made with fried beef,mutton, driedshrimp, pigweed, fufu osun sauce, and coconut.[5] Today in Bahia, Brazil, most street vendors who serve acarajé are women, easily recognizable by their all-white cotton dresses and headscarves and caps. They first appeared in Bahia selling acarajé in the 19th century. Earnings from the sale of acarajé were used both to buy the freedom of enslaved family members until theabolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888; its sale additionally served as a source of family income.[7] The city now has more than 500 acarajé vendors. The image of these women, often simply calledbaianas, frequently appears in artwork from the region of Bahia.[8][1][9] Acarajé, however, is available outside of the state of Bahia as well, including the streets of its neighborboring state ofSergipe, and the markets ofRio de Janeiro.[10]
Acarajé is essential ritual food used inAfro-Brazilian religious traditions such asCandomblé. The first acarajé in a Candomblé ritual is offered to theorixáExu. They vary in size based on their offering to a specific deity: large, round acarajé are offered toXangô; ones smaller in form are offered toIansã.[5] Small, fritter-size acarajé are offered toErê (deity), or child spirits. Acarajé is used in Candomblé rituals in the states of Bahia,Rio de Janeiro,São Paulo,Pernambuco,Alagoas, Sergipe, andMaranhão. It is closely related toacaçá, similar ritual food made of steamed corn mush.[1][8][10]
Acarajé de azeite-doce is a variety of acarajé fried in an oil other than palm oil; olive oil or other vegetable oils are generally used. Acarajé de azeite-doce is used in Candomblé offerings to orixás with a ritual prohibition of the use of palm oil. This variety is found in the states of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.[10]
Acarajé de Xangô (Àkàrà tí Ṣàngó) is a variety of acarajé offered to the orixá Xangô, known as the òriṣà Ṣangó in the Yoruba culture. It is made of the same ingredients as the common form but greatly elongated. This variety is found on the ritual platter ofamalá offered to Xangô. This variety is found in the state of Bahia and in Rio de Janeiro.[10]
Acarajé was listed as a national intangible historic heritage (patrimônio nacional imaterial), by theNational Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 2004; the role ofbaianas in the preparation and sale of acarajé was recognized in the same act.[7] In October 2023, Rio de Janeiro declared the fritter to be part of that city's cultural heritage.[11]
Akara is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc,[12][13] although its nutritional value is usually reduced by the presence ofantinutritional factors such asphytates, fibers,lectins,polyphenols and tannins that affect minerals'bioavailability.[12]
