Food is one thing tourists can definitely look forward to, aside from the attractions, when in Salvador. With its location in the Bay of All Saints, and rich culture mainly influenced by the Afro-Brazilians, gastronomy in the city is many and varied.

 

Among the common dishes in Salvador are those of seafood and lobster. You will be surprised at how cheap these foods are in the city! In fact, compared to lobster dishes in the US and Europe, those in Salvador are way inexpensive. For visitors who want an economical food option while getting a real gastronomic experience in the city, simple seafood dishes are an excellent choice.

 

For those who want to be experimental with their food in Salvador though will be thrilled with the many offerings in the city. Those who can handle food that are peppered will be up for a challenge with Salvador gastronomy. There are also dishes to try that have strange names, like, acarajé, moqueca, vatapá, and caruru among others. Most of these are seafood-based dishes but other ingredients are added to make it more interesting.

 

Of these four, the vatapá is the blockbuster among locals and tourists. It is a seafood stew which has green peppers, ground peanuts, and its key ingredients, dendê (palm oil) and coconut milk. Vatapá is known to be a reference dish. It has several varieties such as caruru, which is vatapá with lots of okra, and acarajé which is a variety of the dish having friend bean cake.

Moqueca is another famous dish in Salvador. It is also seafood based, particularly of shellfish and shrimp, with dendê, coconut milk, and the famous ingredient in the city, hot pepper. Moqueca is different from vatapá mainly for its tomato paste and complementary herbs which include parsley, onion, and garlic.

 

These mentioned delicacies may not appear appealing in the eyes at first. However, tasting them will give you a different perspective on these foods as they are very delicious – something that you would hardly taste elsewhere in the world. Most of these dishes are sold on street corners (don’t worry, they’re clean!) and beach sides by typical Bahians donning white dresses.

 

You will hardly forget these Salvador dishes. Aside from its weird name, its savory flavor is enough to make you look forward for the next dish. Just be careful with the pepper though as they can be very hot.