Akara

Akara(Yoruba:àkàrà;Portuguese:acarajé,pronounced[akaɾaˈʒɛ]) is a type offrittermade fromcowpeasor beans (black-eyed peas) by the Yoruba people ofNigeria,BeninandTogo. It is also known as Bean cake. It is found throughoutWest African,Caribbean, andBrazilian cuisines. The dish is traditionally encountered inBrazil'snortheastern state ofBahia, especially in the city ofSalvador. Acarajé serves as both a religious offering to the gods in theCandombléreligion and asstreet food.The dish was brought by enslaved Yoruba citizens fromWest Africa, and can still be found in various forms inNigeria,BeninandTogo.
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.
Brazilian acarajé is made from raw and milledcowpeasthat are seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped onions molded into the shape of a large scone anddeep-friedindendêwith a wok-like pan in front of the customers.It is served split in half and stuffed withvatapáandcaruru– spicy pastes made fromshrimp, groundcashews,palm oiland other ingredients.Avegetarianversion is typically served withhot peppersand greentomatoes. Acarajé can also come in a second form called abará, where the nutritious ingredients are steamed instead of deep-fried.
Àkàràis aYorubaword meaning "pastry" or the dish itself.TheBraziliantermacarajé, according to Márcio de Jagun, derives from the word is derived from the phraseàkàrà n'jẹ, meaning "come and eat akara"; the phrase was used to call out to customers by women selling akara on the street.
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, whenwarriorscame back victorious from war. The women, especially the wives of the Warriors were to fry akara and distribute it to the villagers.
Akara (as it is known in southwest Nigeria) a recipe taken to Brazil by theenslaved peoplesfrom theWest Africancoast. It is called "akara" by theYoruba peopleofWest Africa, "kosai" by theHausa peopleof Nigeria, and "koose" inGhana. It is a popularbreakfastdish, eaten withmilletorcornpudding. In Nigeria, akara is commonly eaten with bread,ogi(or eko), a type ofcornmealmade 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.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.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.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.
Acarajé is an essential ritual food used inAfro-Brazilianreligious 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.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, a similar ritual food made of steamed corn mush.
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.
Acarajé de Xangô (Àkàrà tí Ṣangó) 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 ofamaláoffered to Xangô. This variety is found in the states of Bahia and states of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.
Acarajé was listed as a national intangible historic heritage (patrimônio nacional imaterial), by theNational Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritagein 2004; the role ofbaianasin the preparation and sale of acarajé was recognized in the same act.In October 2023, Rio de Janeiro declared the fritter to be part of that city's cultural heritage.
Akara is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc,although its nutritional value is usually reduced by the presence ofantinutritionalfactors such asphytates, fibers,lectins,polyphenolsand tannins that affect minerals'bioavailability.