A FOOD TRADITION
Capixaba Cuisine
Capixaba cuisine is associated with Espírito Santo's coastal communities and combines Indigenous, Portuguese, African, and immigrant influences. Fish and shellfish are central, alongside tomatoes, onions, coriander, annatto, cassava, rice, and plantains. The defining technique is cooking seafood in a traditional black clay panela, often allowing ingredients to simmer together without heavy dairy sauces. This repertoire includes moqueca capixaba, a fish or seafood stew distinguished from other regional versions by its seasoning and preparation; torta capixaba, a festive seafood pie; and pirão made by thickening seasoned fish broth with cassava flour. The cuisine is coastal and regional, while related dishes and methods circulate widely along Brazil's shoreline.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
1–5 of 5
Caranguejada Capixaba
Espírito Santo crab dish in which whole crabs are cooked and served as a communal meal.
Moqueca Capixaba
Espírito Santo fish stew seasoned with tomato, onion, coriander, annatto and chilli, traditionally made without coconut milk or palm oil.
Moqueca de Garoupa Salgada com Banana-da-Terra
Capixaba moqueca pairing salt-cured grouper with plantain.
Muma de Siri
Traditional Espírito Santo crab preparation highlighted in the state’s Capixaba food repertoire.
Torta Capixaba
Espírito Santo festive seafood and palm-heart pie bound with eggs and baked until set.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.