Akara

{{Short description|Deep-fried bean cake}} {{Italic title}}{{Infobox food | name = Akara | image = Beans Ball-Akara.jpg | caption = Àkàrà in Nigeria | alternate_name = Acara | country = Nigeria | national_cuisine = Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Brazil | course = Street food | type = | served = Hot | main_ingredient = Beans, deep-fried in vegetable oil or palm oil | variations = | calories = | other = | place_of_origin = Yorubaland }}

'''''Akara''''' ({{langx|yo|àkàrà}}; {{langx|pt|acarajé}}, {{IPA|pt|akaɾaˈʒɛ|pron|Br-Acaraje.ogg}}) is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans (black-eyed peas) originated in Yorubaland,<ref>{{cite journal| last = Ogundele | first = Samuel Oluwole | title = Understanding aspects of Yoruba gastronomic culture | journal = Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 52 | year = 2007 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237834284_Understanding_aspects_of_Yoruba_gastronomic_culture| access-date = 2026-05-17 }}</ref> from the Yoruba ethnic group inhabiting parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Costa Lima | first = Vivaldo | title = The ethno-scenology and ethnoculinary of the acarajé | journal = Vibrant – Virtual Brazilian Anthropology | volume = 7| issue = 2| pages = 237| year = 2010| url = https://vibrant.org.br/issues/v7n2/vivaldo-da-costa-lima-the-ethno-scenology-and-ethno-culinary-of-the-acaraje/| access-date = 2026-05-17 }}</ref> It is sometimes referred to as "bean cake" in English. It is found throughout West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines. The dish is traditionally encountered in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, especially in the city of Salvador. The dish was brought by enslaved Yoruba citizens from West Africa, and can still be found in various forms in Nigeria, Benin and Togo.<ref name="IPHAN-2014" />

''Akara'' is made from peeled beans (black-eyed peas), washed and ground with pepper, onions and other preferred seasonings, then beaten to aerate them, and deep-fried in small balls.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-06|title=How to make Akara/kosai - African Bean Fritters recipe |url=https://cheflolaskitchen.com/akara-acaraje/ |access-date=2022-06-01|website=Chef Lola's Kitchen |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 October 2021|title=Pap & akara bean balls with sweet plantain (Breakfast) Recipe by Da-Princess Kitchen Culinary Concept(Chef DPK) |url=https://cookpad.com/ng/recipes/15625552-pap-akara-bean-balls-with-sweet-plantain-breakfast |access-date=2022-06-01|website=Cookpad |language=en}}</ref> Egg is an option added in some akara recipes into the batter. There are different types and variations of Akara.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aliyah |date=2017-12-15|title=Nigerian Akara: Three ways (Beans Cake or beans Fritters) - |url=https://aliyahsrecipesandtips.com/nigerian-akara-three-ways-beans-cake-beans-fritters/ |access-date=2026-03-03|language=en-US}}</ref>Akara is usually fried in vegetable oil (Ororo) or in palm oil (Epo). Palm oil fried akara is called ''akara kengbe'' or ''akara elepo'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=for #OunjeAladun |first=Omolabake |date=2016-12-08|title=Akara: A collection of 4 types of the ultimate Street food. |url=https://ounjealadun.com/2016/12/08/akara-a-collection-of-4-types-of-the-ultimate-street-food/ |access-date=2026-01-10|website=Ounje Aladun |language=en-GB}}</ref> though between the two oil types, vegetable oil fried akara is more common as street food in Nigeria. The use of palm oil in akara elepo, gives it a taste difference from the more common Akara Olororo.

Akara Osu is another variant of Akara, from Osu town, fried in palm oil or vegetable oil, can be paler in colour than regular akara, lighter, puffy, airer and dainty, with onion slices, sliced bell pepper, shrimp and whole prawns (Ede) in it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=for #OunjeAladun |first=Omolabake |date=2016-12-08|title=Akara: A collection of 4 types of the ultimate Street food. |url=https://ounjealadun.com/2016/12/08/akara-a-collection-of-4-types-of-the-ultimate-street-food/ |access-date=2026-03-03|website=Ounje Aladun |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Akara Osu: Sumptuous And Delicious Delicacy That Should Be Revived |url=https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/278753/akara-osu-sumptuous-and-delicious-delicacy-that-should-be-r.html |access-date=2026-03-03|website=Nigerian Voice}}</ref>Akara Senke is an akara that is made from using unpeeled Black-eyed peas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ihensekhien |first=Isoken |title=Preparation and characterization of akara and senke cakes made from cowpea flour paste |url=https://www.academia.edu/105772798/Preparation_and_characterization_of_akara_and_senke_cakes_made_from_cowpea_flour_paste |journal=Journal of Current Science and Technology |doi=10.59796/JCST.V13N2.2023.1750|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Opaleke |first=Deborah Oluyemisi |last2=Adebisi |first2=Tunrayo Taibat |last3=Karim |first3=Olayinka Ramota |last4=Oluwadare |first4=Ayodele Adenike |last5=Ihensekhien |first5=Isoken |last6=Lawal |first6=Simbiat Mojeed |date=2023-07-15 |title=Preparation and characterization of akara and senke cakes made from cowpea flour paste |url=https://ph04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JCST/article/view/1750 |journal=Journal of Current Science and Technology |language=en |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=351–363 |doi=10.59796/jcst.V13N2.2023.1750 |issn=2630-0656|doi-access=free }}</ref> Other akara types includes Akara Awon (from beans and okro) and Egusi Akara (made from egusi seeds)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Jessica B. |url=https://books.google.com.ng/books/about/The_Africa_Cookbook.html?id=7rmIDVcoHNoC&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y |title=The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent |date=1998 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-684-80275-6 |language=en}}</ref>. Another type of Akara product is Akara Ogbomosho (Akara chips) which are crunchy chips.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ogunbanwo |first=S. T |last2=Adenrele |first2=Oluwatoyin Opeyemi |last3=Adegoke |first3=C. O |date=August 2021|title=PHYSICOCHEMICAL, NUTRITIONAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STORED Akara ogbomoso A NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS BEAN CAKE |url=https://hal.science/hal-05158102 |journal=Asian Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=18–29}}</ref> thumb|300x300px|Akara thumb|400x400px|Akara Elepo Brazilian acarajé is made from raw and milled cowpeas that are seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped onions molded into the shape of a large scone and deep-fried in dendê with a wok-like pan in front of the customers.<ref name="IPHAN-2014" /> It is served split in half and stuffed with ''vatapá'' and ''caruru'' – spicy pastes made from shrimp, ground cashews, palm oil and other ingredients.<ref name="Blazes" /> A vegetarian version is typically served with hot peppers and green tomatoes. Acarajé can also comes in a second form called abará, in which the nutritious ingredients are steamed instead of deep-fried, similar to moi moi.

==Etymology== {{lang|yo|Àkàrà}} is a Yoruba word meaning "pastry" or the dish itself.<ref name="Barbosa-2015" /> The Brazilian term {{lang|pt|acarajé}}, according to Márcio de Jagun, is derived from the phrase {{lang|yo|àkàrà n'jẹ}}, meaning "come and eat ''akara''"; the phrase was used to call out to customers by women selling ''akara'' on the street.<ref name="Jagun-2015" /><ref name="Jagun-2017" />

== History == thumb|Acarajé ''Akara'' plays a significant role in the Yoruba 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, when warriors came back victorious from war. The women, especially the wives of the warriors, were to fry ''akara'' and distribute it to the villagers.

Acarajé serves as both a religious offering to the gods in the Candomblé religion and as street food.

''Akara'' (as known in southwest Nigeria) is a recipe taken to Brazil by the enslaved peoples from the West African coast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanusi |first=Deborah |date=2025-01-16|title=VIDEO: From Nigeria to Brazil: Akara gains popularity, gets annual festival |url=https://punchng.com/video-from-nigeria-to-brazil-akara-gains-popularity-gets-annual-festival/ |access-date=2026-01-17|newspaper=The Punch|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Adekunle |first=Musa |date=2025-01-16|title=Akara becomes cultural icon in Brazil with annual Acarajé festival |url=https://guardian.ng/life/food/akara-becomes-cultural-icon-in-brazil-with-annual-acaraje-festival/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2026-01-17|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB}}</ref> It is called "akara" by the Yoruba people of West Africa, "kosai" by the Hausa people of Nigeria, and "koose" in Ghana. It is a common breakfast dish, eaten with millet or corn pudding. In Nigeria, ''akara'' is commonly eaten with bread, custard, ogi (or eko), a type of cornmeal 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 to puff-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.

===In Brazil=== [[File:Baiana-acarajé-Salvador.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Baiana'' selling ''acarajé'' on the streets of Salvador, Brazil.]] Acarajé sold on the street in Brazil are variously made with fried beef, mutton, dried shrimp, pigweed, fufu osun sauce, and coconut.<ref name="Barbosa-2015" /> 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 the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888; its sale additionally served as a source of family income.<ref name="Jagun-2017" /> The city now has more than 500 acarajé vendors. The image of these women, often simply called ''baianas'', frequently appears in artwork from the region of Bahia.<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield-2016" /><ref name="IPHAN-2014" /><ref name="Cardoso-2014" /> Acarajé, however, is available outside of the state of Bahia as well, including the streets of its neighborboring state of Sergipe, and the markets of Rio de Janeiro.<ref name="Lody-2003" />

==In Candomblé==

Acarajé is essential ritual food used in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions such as Candomblé. The first acarajé in a Candomblé ritual is offered to the orixá Exu. They vary in size based on their offering to a specific deity: large, round acarajé are offered to Xangô; ones smaller in form are offered to Iansã.<ref name="Barbosa-2015" /> Small, fritter-size acarajé are offered to Erê (deity), or child spirits. Acarajé is used in Candomblé rituals in the states of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, and Maranhão. It is closely related to acaçá, a similar ritual food made of steamed corn mush.<ref name="IPHAN-2014" /><ref name="Rowman & Littlefield-2016" /><ref name="Lody-2003" />

===Acarajé de azeite-doce===

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.<ref name="Lody-2003" />

===Acarajé de Xangô (Sango)===

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 of amalá offered to Xangô. This variety is found in the state of Bahia and in Rio de Janeiro.<ref name="Lody-2003" />

==Protected status== Acarajé was listed as a national intangible historic heritage (''patrimônio nacional imaterial''), by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 2004; the role of ''baianas'' in the preparation and sale of acarajé was recognized in the same act.<ref name="Jagun-2017" /> In October 2023, Rio de Janeiro declared the fritter to be part of that city's cultural heritage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Acarajé se torna Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural do Rio e causa polêmica entre baianos |url=https://www.correio24horas.com.br/entretenimento/acaraje-se-torna-patrimonio-historico-e-cultural-do-rio-e-causa-polemica-entre-baianos-1023}}</ref>

== Nutrition == ''Akara'' is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc,<ref name="Almeida-2008">{{Cite journal |last=Almeida |first=Deusdélia T. |last2=Greiner |first2=Ralf |last3=Furtunado |first3=Dalva M. N. |last4=Trigueiro |first4=Ivaldo N. S. |last5=Araújo |first5=Maria da Purificação N. |date=2008-01-24|title=Content of some antinutritional factors in bean cultivars frequently consumed in Brazil: Antinutrients in beans |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |language=en |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=243–249 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01426.x |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carvalho |first=Ana Fontenele Urano |last2=de Sousa |first2=Nathanna Mateus |last3=Farias |first3=Davi Felipe |last4=da Rocha-Bezerra |first4=Lady Clarissa Brito |last5=da Silva |first5=Renata Maria Pereira |last6=Viana |first6=Martônio Ponte |last7=Gouveia |first7=Sandro Thomaz |last8=Sampaio |first8=Silvana Saker |last9=de Sousa |first9=Marcia Barbosa |last10=de Lima |first10=Glauber Pacelli Gomes |last11=de Morais |first11=Selene Maia |date=2012-05-01|title=Nutritional ranking of 30 Brazilian genotypes of cowpeas including determination of antioxidant capacity and vitamins |journal=Journal of Food Composition and Analysis |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=81–88 |doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2012.01.005 |issn=0889-1575 |doi-access=free}}</ref> although its nutritional value is usually reduced by the presence of antinutritional factors such as phytates, fibers, lectins, polyphenols and tannins that affect minerals' bioavailability.<ref name="Almeida-2008" />

==In popular culture== * ''Akara'' (acarajé) was featured on the Netflix TV series ''Street Food'' volume 2, which focused on Latin American street foods.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=John |title='Street Food: Latin America' Review: A Platter of Vicarious Delights |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/street-food-latin-america-review-a-platter-of-vicarious-delights-11594931655 |access-date=9 September 2020|work=WSJ |publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc.}}</ref> * The song ''No Tabuleiro da Baiana'', written by Ary Barroso and famously recorded by João Gilberto, Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil, references acarajé, abará, vatapá, and caruru.

== See also == {{Portal|Food}}

* {{annotated link|Calas (food)|Calas}} * {{annotated link|Cuisine of Nigeria}} * {{annotated link|Falafel}} * List of African dishes * List of Brazilian dishes * List of legume dishes * {{annotated link|Vada (food)|Vada}}

==References== <references> <ref name="Blazes">{{Cite web |last=Blazes |first=Marian |title=Brazilian Black-Eyed Pea and Shrimp Fritters - Acarajé |url=http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/r/acaraje.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429195915/http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/r/acaraje.htm |archive-date=29 April 2013|access-date=17 May 2012 |publisher=About.com}}</ref> <ref name="Barbosa-2015">{{Cite book |last=Barbosa |first=Ademir |title=Dicionário de umbanda |publisher=Anubis |year=2015 |isbn=978-85-67855-26-4 |location=São Paulo |page=20}}</ref> <ref name="Cardoso-2014">{{Cite book |last=Cardoso |first=Ryzia De Cássia Vieira |title=Street Food: Culture, Economy, Health and Governance |publisher=Routledge, Earthscan from Routledge |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-317-68991-1 |location=London New York |display-authors=et al}}</ref> <ref name="IPHAN-2014">{{Cite web |date=2014|title=Significado do acarajé no candomblé |url=http://portal.iphan.gov.br/pagina/detalhes/837 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101193810/http://portal.iphan.gov.br/pagina/detalhes/837 |archive-date=2019-01-01|access-date=2016-10-01 |publisher=Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan) |place=Brasília, Brazil |language=pt}}</ref> <ref name="Jagun-2015">{{Cite book |last=Jagun |first=Márcio de |title=Orí: a cabeça como divindade, história, cultura, filosofia e religiosidade africana |publisher=Litteris |year=2015 |isbn=978-85-374-0257-3 |location=Rio de Janeiro |page=221}}</ref> <ref name="Rowman & Littlefield-2016">{{Cite book |title=Urban Foodways and Communication: Ethnographic Studies in Intangible Cultural Food Heritages Around the World |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4422-6643-8 |editor-last=Lum |editor-first=Casey |location=Lanham, Maryland |page=125}}</ref> <ref name="Lody-2003">{{Cite book |last=Lody |first=Raul |title=Dicionário de arte sacra & técnicas afro-brasileiras |publisher=Pallas |year=2003 |isbn=978-85-347-0187-7 |location=Rio de Janeiro |page=37}}</ref> <ref name="Jagun-2017">{{Cite book |last=Jagun |first=Marcio de |title=Yorùbá: vocabulário temático do candomblé |publisher=Litteris Editora UERJ, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro |year=2017 |isbn=978-85-374-0318-1 |location=Rio de Janeiro, RJ |page=64 |language=pt}}</ref> </references>

==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://cheflolaskitchen.com/the-chin-chin-recipe/ Recipe for Nigerian Chin Chin]

{{Legume dishes}} {{African cuisine}} {{Street food}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acaraje}} Category:Brazilian cuisine Category:Nigerian cuisine Category:Cowpea dishes Category:Religious food and drink Category:Vegan cuisine Category:Beninese cuisine Category:Street food Category:Ghanaian legume dishes Category:Yoruba cuisine Category:Candomblé Category:Fritters Category:Cuisine of the Northeast region of Brazil Category:Black-eyed pea dishes Category:Vegetarian dishes of Ghana