Food festival celebrates Acarajé a traditional Afro-Brazilian street food

Here at Rio de Janeiro’s Praca Maua, crowds have started arriving for the largest ever outdoor acarajé festival.

Originating in Bahia, acarajé is made by baianas – woman from Bahia who are descendants of slaves. The fried bun has its roots in West Africa and was brought to Bahia in the 19th century. Until relatively recently, the dish could only be found in Bahia, but lately, the culture, food and traditions of baianas is growing in…