Dendê-rich seafood stews with coconut and chiles

Bahia’s most emblematic savory flavors live in its stews. Moqueca baiana simmers fish or shellfish with onions, peppers, tomatoes, dendê (red palm) oil, coconut milk, and malagueta chiles—an Afro-Brazilian profile often described as the “holy trinity” of Bahian cooking. Served with rice, farofa (toasted cassava meal), and sometimes pirão (fish gravy thickened with cassava), it’s the table’s centerpiece from beach shacks to home kitchens. Close cousins include bobó de camarão, a shrimp stew enriched with mashed cassava and coconut milk, and local variations of moqueca across the coast. These dishes tell Bahia’s history: Atlantic trade routes, African techniques, and tropical abundance meeting in the pot.