Food of Cape Verde
Cape Verdean cooking blends African and Portuguese influences with the ocean's bounty: tuna, lobster and fresh fish. Cachupa, the national stew, is the centerpiece, and corn, beans, cassava and sweet potato complement seafood. Music and food go together at gatherings.
Cachupa
A traditional dish of Cape Verde made with hominy, beans, pork, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
How to make CachupaStaples
- corn
- beans
- cassava
- sweet potato
- tuna
- lobster
Signature flavors
- garlic
- bay leaf
- onion
- pepper
- lemon
Main dishes
A traditional dish of Cape Verde made with hominy, beans, pork, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: hominy, beans, porkFull guide →A traditional dish of Cape Verde made with rice, beans, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rice, beansA traditional dish of Cape Verde made with tuna, garlic, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: tuna, garlicA traditional dish of Cape Verde made with lobster, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: lobsterFried pastry filled with spiced tuna.
Key ingredients: tuna, onion
A traditional dish of Cape Verde made with cornmeal, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cornmealA traditional dish of Cape Verde made with chicken, rice, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: chicken, riceBreakfast
A traditional breakfast dish of Cape Verde made with cachupa, egg, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cachupa, eggA traditional breakfast dish of Cape Verde made with corn, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cornStreet food
A traditional street snack of Cape Verde made with goat, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: goatA traditional street snack of Cape Verde made with corn, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cornDesserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Cape Verde made with cheese, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cheese, sugarA traditional sweet treat of Cape Verde made with papaya, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: papayaDrinks
A traditional drink of Cape Verde made with coffee, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: coffeeA traditional drink of Cape Verde made with passion fruit, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: passion fruitFruits and produce
Papaya is a well-loved fruit or crop in Cape Verde, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: papayaFull guide →
Banana is a well-loved fruit or crop in Cape Verde, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: bananaFull guide →
Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in Cape Verde, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →Dish guides from Cape Verde
Explore Cape Verde on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Western Africa
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Cachupa 2: Xandu, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Moroccan cuscus, from Casablanca, September 2018: Lmmima, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
