Known for its beautiful beaches, Ceará also has an unmissable cuisine. Many of its dishes are common in other northeastern states too, however, Ceara has some very unique flavors. This can be because of the local recipes, seasonings or simply the way we make it.
Read on and check out 5 typical dishes from Ceará!
Sun dried meat with cassava
The name “carne de sol”, also called carne de vento or carne do sertão, comes from the ancient process of conservation, in which the meat was dried out in the sun. This helped store it through long journeys. This meat has become one of the favorites of the northeast and is usually served with cassava in restaurants and houses in Ceará. For those who have never heard of cassava, it is a very common root vegetable, that is often made into a powder or flour.
Ceará cuisine – Tapioca
Tapioca is of indigenous Tupi-Guarani origin and its name is derived from the word tipi’óka, the name given to the starch from which it is made. The Portuguese saw tapioca for the first time in a tribe from Pernambuco. However, there are documents that indicate that the Cariris Indians of Ceará also ate this food that is based on cassava flour. What they didn’t know however, was how well it would go with cheese and butter!
And as well as being delicious, tapioca is healthy as it takes longer to be processed by our bodies. This provides sustained energy and keeps you fuller for longer.
Fish from the coast of Ceará
There’s no shortage of fish on Ceará’s menus! The most common are: snapper, mackerel, yellow hake, bass and crab.
Moqueca is a well-known and appreciated dish in the region, it is a fish stew with vegetables and herbs. The moqueca from Ceará is ideal to eat together with pirão, which is basically the broth of the moqueca thickened with cassava flour, and it is delicious!!
Northeastern couscous
Couscous is undoubtedly one of the dishes that most symbolizes the northeast. First made in North Africa thousands of years ago, it became a source of food for the Brazilian native Indians. It is based on corn, which is an abundant food that can be easily found in Brazil. In the Northeast, it was rediscovered, becoming a symbol of resistance. It represents strength and substance. So important that it is, it became one of the intangible riches of the region, earning a day just for itself (March 19).
This version of couscous may be a little different from what you are used to, but if you add butter, eggs, pepperoni, bacon, vegetables, or whatever you like really, you’ll be sure to enjoy this dish at any time of the day.
Ceará cuisine – Baião de Dois
Finally, baião de dois. It originated in Ceará and is sure to be found on the tables of all families in the region.
The term baião comes from a dance found in the northeast which was derived from a form of music, called “baiano”. The term gained popularity with the song Baião de Dois, which was a partnership between the Ceará composer Humberto Teixeira and the “King of Baião”, Luiz Gonzaga from Pernambuco.
The dish sounds very boring when you discover that it is basically made of rice and beans. However, when the Ceará spices, sometimes a little pork and even some cheese, are added, it’s a different story.
Have you enjoyed finding out about the local foods of Ceará?
You can also read: Cuisine from the Coast of Ceará: discover 4 typical dishes
