Cape Verdean cuisine facts for kids
The cuisine of Cape Verde is the food and cooking style found in this island nation. It mixes flavors from Portugal, Southern and Western Europe, and West Africa. Cape Verde was a colony of Portugal until 1975, which greatly influenced its food.
Since Cape Verde is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, fish and seafood are very important in its cooking.
What People Eat and Drink
One special part of Cape Verdean culture is the drink called grogue. This is a strong rum made from sugar cane. It is produced on the islands of Santo Antao and Santiago. People make it in towns like Paul and Cidade Velha using a special machine called a trapiche. A sweeter version of this drink is ponche, which has condensed milk or molasses added.
Corn and beans are main foods in Cape Verdean meals. Other popular foods include rice, fried potatoes, cassava, and vegetables. You'll also find carrots, kale, squash, and yams. For protein, people enjoy fish like tuna and sawfish, as well as lobster, chicken, grilled pork, and eggs. Because of Portuguese influence, olives and Alentejo wines are still brought to the islands.
Cachupa, a hearty stew, is known as the national dish of Cape Verde. It is made with mashed corn, onions, green bananas, manioc, sweet potatoes, squash, and yams. Manioc balls are also a common food.
Seafood dishes are very popular. These include bafa and búzio cabra. Búzio cabra is made from a type of sea snail called a bubonian conch.
To protect sea animals, the Cape Verdean government made a law in 2002. This law stopped the hunting of turtles. Because of this, a dish once popular on Santiago Island, called turtle steak, is no longer served. This shows how much Cape Verde cares about its wildlife.
Strela is the most popular beer in Cape Verde. It started being made in 2006. Before that, Portuguese beers like Super Bock and Sagres were more common.
Popular Meals
Here are some of the tasty dishes you might find in Cape Verde:
- Manel Antone stew—a beef stew.
- Antonense shrimp stew (conserva de camarão)—a shrimp dish from Santo Antão.
- Antonense pork stew (conserva de carne de porco)—a pork dish also from Santo Antão.
- Arroz de cabidela de marisco а dadal—a rice and seafood dish from the island of São Vicente.
- Bafa—a quick snack or main dish with seafood or meat. It's often enjoyed with drinks.
- Bafa—a dish with squid, fries, and rice.
- Bibi-style shrimp dish (caldo de camarão а moda da mama Bibi)—a seafood dish from Chã das Pedras on Santo Antão.
- Búzio cabra—a seafood dish made from the bubonian conch, a type of sea snail.
- Cachupa—the national corn/maize dish of Cape Verde. There are different kinds, like cachupa frita (fried cachupa). Some are "rich" (cachupa rica) with more ingredients, and others are "poor" (cachupa pobre) with fewer.
- Cabrito—young goat meat.
- Caldo de peixe or Calderado—a fish dish, usually with mackerel. It includes potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and other vegetables, served with rice.
- Carne guizada—a beef stew.
- Chamuças—Cape Verdean samosas. These are tasty pastries that came from the Indian subcontinent.
- Couscous—a very popular dish in Cape Verde. The local style is a sweet cake or bun made from bean-flour and sugar, then steamed. It's often eaten with butter or coffee for breakfast.
- Frango assado—grilled chicken.
- Feijoada (a la Cape Verde)—a hearty bean stew.
- Goat cheese with papaya jam—a sweet and savory treat.
- Frango assado com tomates—a popular dish on the island of Fogo, featuring grilled chicken with tomatoes.
- Ervilhas assadas—a dish popular on the island of Fogo.
- Guisado de percebes (barnacle stew)—a dish from the island of São Vicente.
- Lobster stew—lobster that is steamed and served with a special sauce.
- Lagosta suada—lobster cooked in a red sauce.
- Lapas—mussels, stewed limpets, and peppers.
- Morreia eel—fried in oil, often served as a bafa.
- Legumes cozidos—cooked vegetables.
- Modje de Sao Nicolau—a beef stew.
- Percebes—also known as sea fingers or gooseneck barnacles. They are steamed and eaten by peeling the skin to get to the meat.
- Cracas—barnacles served still attached to the rock with lemon. You use a tool to get the meat out.
- Polvo—octopus.
- Shrimp in garlic wine (camarão em vinha de alhos).
- Xerém—a corn dish served with soup.
Drinks
- Strela—the local beer.
- Wines—several types of wines from areas like Chã das Caldeiras, including Santa Luzia and Brava.
Desserts
- Bolinhos de mandioca com mel—sweet honey manioc balls.
