The flavors of Cape Verdean cuisine that draw you to the country
About the cuisine of this country, we present two typical dishes that are worth enjoying. As each culture has its own main dish that is often the face of the country, Cape Verde is no exception. Get to know “cachupa” and “caldo de peixe”, two dishes that are practically never missing from the Cape Verdean table, whatever the time of day.
Cachupa
This emblematic dish of Cape Verdean cuisine is considered a national symbol. It’s a rich and tasty stew made with a variety of ingredients that can vary according to the region and personal preferences.
The main ingredients in this dish are corn, chicks, often white or brown beans, fish or meat, which can be beef, pork or chicken, carrots and cabbage. But if anyone wants to, they can add whatever they like, referring to cachupa with broth when it’s cooked. Once the cachupa is ready, you can heat it up on other days, in which case you usually fry either an egg or accompany it with chorizo or pork sausage.
The spices that accompany cachupa are usually onions, peppers, garlic, salt and tomatoes to give the dish an ideal flavor. The locals love this dish.
The way to prepare it is to first soak the corn to make it softer, then on the day you are going to make the cachupa, cook the corn in a pan with water, once the corn is almost cooked, add the pinto, let it cook as well, and after a few minutes or almost an hour, that is, once the pinto is cooked, add the fish or meat and the spices, and then let the ingredients cook a little more until a broth is formed that is ready to be consumed.
Fish stock
This easy-to-make dish is made more often than not. The main ingredient is fish and the side dishes are green banana, sweet or English babata, pumpkin, cassava and even carrots. Many prefer to add a little pepper to give the broth a more savory taste and enjoy it better.
This dish is a culinary preparation obtained by boiling fish stock and is an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as calcium and B vitamins.
How to prepare it is to wash the ingredients and put the spices and vegetables in a large saucepan with a little water to cook, but don’t let it cook completely. Then add more water and bring to the boil, then put the fish in for about 15 minutes, until it is completely cooked.
It is believed that this dish came about because of the large quantity of fish in the country, hence the need to invent different fish dishes.
