moqueca

Moqueca ( or depending on the dialect, also spelled muqueca) is a Brazilian seafood stew. Moqueca is typically made with shrimp or fish in a base of tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime, and coriander. Some recipes include annatto, palm oil, and coconut milk, depending on the regional variation.

The dish and its countless variations are present in the cuisine of several Brazilian states and compete for the position of national culinary symbol – in 2013, in a promotional survey by the Ministry of Tourism, it was chosen as the archetypical recipe that could not be missed on a tourist's table, even displacing feijoada. According to Luís da Câmara Cascudo, author of History of Food in Brazil (Global), the fish that the Indians baked wrapped in leaves was called pokeka. Just like the word, which made “make a wrap”, the dish was gradually transformed, taking on the way of cooking in each place. In Bahia, where African influence prevailed, coconut milk and palm oil became mandatory ingredients – dorado, shark, whiting and sea bass are the most used fish. In the Espírito Santo version, Caloca Fernandes, author of Gastronomic journey through Brazil (Senac-SP), sees a purer aspect of Portuguese stews. In moqueca from Pará, an Amazonian fish that is accompanied by tucupi, jambu and shrimp. In Manaus, versions based on freshwater fish such as pirarucu and sorubim also prevail.