Come and Eat Akara – “Acara je!”: The Brazilian – Nigerian Connection
Akara in Nigeria is a bean cake that is made from black-eyed peas which are cleaned by removing the skins of the peas, grinded into a paste and fried. It is said that when African slaves reached Brazil it became very popular in the Bahia region, became a staple in homes and could often be found sold on roadsides. In Brazil however, it is not called Akara but Acaraje which is what African women in Nigeria would call out when selling along the roadside.
In Brazil it is always made with dende – reddish oil from the palm fruit. In Nigeria, you’ll find it made with palm oil, vegetable oil or a mixture of the two.
One of the interesting things about food are the cultural connections and its ability to teach and remind us of how closely connected we really are.
