Bahian cuisine is truly unique and local, and can be found only within the Bahia region. There is a lot of seafood in the meals, along with typical African touches, such as dende oil.

Baianas de acaraje is the name given to the women dressed in traditional white skirts and turbans. They serve acaraje and abara and can be seen scattered amongst the streets of the city with big pots and white tables to match. The former (acaraje) is a deep-fried, bread-like meal, made from mashed beans whose skins have been removed. These are then deep-fried in the afore-mentioned dende oil, and eaten with shrimp (camarao), hot sauce (pimenta) and salad (salada.) Often served with this is vatapa, which is a paste of peanuts, cashews, shrimp, coconut milk and dende.
The abara is essentially the same except instead of deep-fried, it is boiled in a banana leaf. Such meals are incredibly cheap, costing from 1 Real to 3 at most.

However, be warned! Not all acarajes are equal in taste! This strongly depends on the cooking skills of the bajana who is preparing them, and there are some who have gained reputation for their meals. Some of the tried-and-true bajana women are listed below:

Standing preparing her acarajes and abaras in Pelourinho on Travessa Agostinho Gomes, she has been doing so for nearly half a century.

In Itapoan, Cira is another lady in white with a steaming pot and delicious meals. Dinha, who has moved from the street into a small restaurant called Casa da Dinha on Rua Joao Gomes 25, Rio Vermelho, is famous for her acarajes.

Another extremely popular dish is Moqueca. The bobo is similar but a bit thicker due to the addition of aipim. They also include use of dende and coconut milk, a mark of the African influence on Brazilian cuisine.

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