Cachupa – Cape Verde’s National dish

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What is Cachupa?

Cachupa is Cape Verde’s National dish. The islands of Cape Verde are located in West Africa. It is a traditional dish that can resemble a type of Cassoulet. The dish is the result of centuries of mixing between West African cultures, fused with Portuguese and South American influences.

There are countless variations of Cachupa, depending on where you go in the islands. It is a flavourful stew consists of root vegetables, meats (any kind of meat you want), or fish accompanied by hominy beans. It can contain sausage, bacon, yucca, sweet potatoes, etc. depends on whatever you have available. For every island, there’s a different type of cachupa. During our short stay in Cape Verde, we tried 2 different versions of Cachupa, which were delicious but very differently cooked.

History has influenced Cachupa very much. The ingredients for this dish, meat and vegetables, were brought by different influences. On the one hand, the Europeans brought livestock with them when they came to Cape Verde. On the other hand, the vegetables are a tradition that comes from West Africa. In addition, there is also a South American influence in this dish, because sometimes it includes corn, hot chili, peppers, and cassava (a root vegetable that you can also make flour out of it). Back then, Cape Verde was a popular stopover point for ships sailing from South America to Africa.

Many types of Cachupas

Cachupa is also a dish that reflects the socio-economic status of a person or family. Poorer families tend to use more crop-based ingredients, often ones that they grow on their own. On the other hand, wealthier families, who have a bigger purchasing power, buy additional meats and fish from local markets. So much so, that meat or fish was considered a luxury for a long time in Cape Verde. In a way, it still is. As such, it comes as no surprise that Cachupa is a dish that reflects Cape Verde’s history, and is therefore considered to be the country’s national dish.

Tip: Cachupa as with all stews is tastier the next day, when everything thickens and the flavors meld together.

What are you going to cook today?

Recipe time… for Cachupa it’s best if it’s slow-cooked.

*Below we chose two of Cachupas’ variations that are available out there.

Cachupa Rica (wealthy cachupa)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kidney beans water overnight
• 1 cup lima beans water overnight
• 4 cups chickpeas water overnight
• 1 chorizo, sliced
• 1 cut-up chicken (thighs, breasts, drumsticks, wings)
• 455gr of Collard 
• 450gr of Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chunked
• 900gr of Squash, peeled and chunked
• 900gr of Plantains (cooking bananas, not overripe), peeled, sliced
• 900gr of tomatoes, quartered
• 4 cup chicken stock or water
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt, pepper

Method:

1. In a saucepan, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes and all seasonings. Add water and soaked beans. Cook for 45minutes until nearly tender.
2. After, in a separate pan, brown the chicken until it shows a golden colour. Transfer to a plate. Cook the sausage until is brown. Transfer to the same bowl where the chicken is. In the same pan, add plantains and vegetables. Cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Finally, transfer everything to the pot where the onions and beans are. Cook in low heat for 1 ½ hour. Allow resting for a while before serving.

Cachupa Pobre (Peasants Cachupa)

Cachupa Pobre has the same cooking process as the Cachupa Rica, but you don’t add the meat, only vegetables. It is a great option for vegetarians or vegans.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kidney beans water overnight
• 1 cup lima beans water overnight
• 4 cups chickpeas water overnight
• 455gr of Collard 
• 450gr of Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chunked
• 900gr of Squash, peeled and chunked
• 900gr of Plantains (cooking bananas, not overripe), peeled, sliced
• 900gr of tomatoes, quartered
• 4 cups chicken stock or water
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt, pepper

Method:

1. The first step is to saute the onions in a saucepan with olive oil, until they look translucent. Next, add the garlic, tomatoes and all seasonings. Add water and soaked beans. Cook for 45 minutes until nearly tender. Add plantains and vegetables. Cook for about 10 minutes.
2. It is important to cook in low heat for 1 ½ hour. Once cooked, allow the food to rest for a while before serving.