Food and specialties in Cape Verde
Cape Verdeans love simple cooking, so the national dish “cachupa” is always on the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This stew consists of corn and various vegetables, such as onions, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, tomatoes or pumpkin, as well as cabbage and possibly a little bacon
The most luxurious versions are offered as cachupa rica (rich cachupa) with sausage, beef or pork, and of course the dish is also available with fish. Stews are generally very popular, especially with beans, such as feijoada.
Of course, fish is also served, with tuna, swordfish and mackerel being particularly popular. Seafood such as mussels, prawns and langoustines are also popular. There are also snails, traditional chicken soup and fish soups.
Meat is rarely consumed, as practically everything has to be imported and is therefore expensive.
When it comes to desserts, the sweet tooth will feel right at home in Cape Verde, as the following sweets are usually homemade. Milk or goat’s cheese pudding is common, and tropical fruits such as papaya, guava, mango and coconut are also used.
A typical alcoholic drink is grog, a type of rum that is often used in mixed drinks such as pontche. The grog is mixed with sugar cane molasses, fruit and spices. Non-alcoholic drinks are usually imported, so they are relatively expensive.
There is also local wine, which is grown in difficult conditions on the island of Fogo. There isn’t much, so most of the wine on offer in Cape Verde comes from Portugal.
Restaurants in Cape Verde are often so discreet that they don’t even recognize themselves as restaurants. It’s worth asking the locals for a good restaurant, they’ll be happy to give you information.
Tip: If you are invited to eat with a local family, bring a small gift, it will be much appreciated. And don’t eat the last bit of food from the bowl, as this is impolite and means that too little has been served.
