Vatapá

Vatapá is a thick, creamy paste of bread or flour, coconut milk, peanuts, ginger and palm oil, typical of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. It is the usual accompaniment to acarajé and carries strong Afro-Brazilian heritage.

History

The dish is linked to Yoruba cooking from West Africa, and it reached Brazil with enslaved West Africans who brought their culinary knowledge along. Its name comes from Yoruba, where it is known as ehba-tápa.

Over time the recipe adapted to ingredients available in Brazil, such as coconut and peanuts, and became established in Salvador and the Recôncavo region of Bahia. From there it spread to other parts of the north and northeast, where it is often served with white rice.

Culture

In Bahia, vatapá is part of the food offered in candomblé terreiros, where it is presented as a ritual offering alongside acaçá or acarajé. Outside ceremonies it is served in restaurants, street stalls and family homes.

How it is served varies by region and occasion. It may be accompanied by fresh shrimp, fish, salt cod, beef or white rice. In Pará it is often made without peanuts, with plantain added instead.

The dish also appears in popular music. Dorival Caymmi wrote a 1957 song that names it and sets out its ingredients, and Gal Costa later recorded it for her 1976 tribute album to Caymmi.

Trivia