Travel is tasting. Anyone who goes to a new country and only orders what they also eat at home misses half the adventure. In Cape Verde, and certainly on Santiago, the cuisine is one of the most direct gateways to the country's culture.
Cape Verdean cuisine is a fascinating mix. Portuguese colonial influences, West African traditions, the scarce ingredients of island life: all together have led to a cuisine that seems simple but is deep in flavor.
As a local tour operator on Santiago, we eat these dishes ourselves every day and take our guests to the places where locals eat. What you get in tourist restaurants is rarely the same as what a Cape Verdean grandmother cooks at home. Below we share the 10 dishes you really must taste.
1. Cachupa Rica
Cachupa is the national dish of Cape Verde. Without a doubt. If you eat one thing on Santiago, let it be this.
Cachupa is a stew of corn kernels, beans, vegetables, and meat: pork, oxtail, sausages, depending on what is available. The “rica” version is the richer variant, with more meat and more complex flavors. The simpler “pobre” version is the popular variant.
A well-prepared cachupa has been simmered on low heat for hours. The flavors are deep, warm, and comforting. For breakfast, people sometimes eat fried leftover cachupa from the day before with a fried egg on top. Give it a try.
2. Buzio
Bulots are sea snails, freshly picked from the rocky coast. They are cooked in a broth of onion, garlic, tomato, and local herbs, sometimes with a splash of grogue for a kick.
On Santiago, you will find buzio at almost every fish restaurant along the coast. You pull the meat out of the shell yourself. Rustic, delicious, unforgettable.
3. Grilled Lobster
The waters around Santiago are rich in seafood, and lobster is the absolute highlight there. Lagosta grelhada, grilled lobster with a garlic, butter, and lemon sauce, is a fraction of the price here compared to what you pay in Europe.
In fish restaurants along the coast, and certainly in villages like Tarrafal In Ribeira da Barca, lobster is regularly on the menu.
4. Grilled Atum
Santiago lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the tuna caught here is fresher than fresh. Simply grilled, with a little olive oil and herbs, served with rice or batata. This is the dish that takes you back to the essence of good food: quality ingredients, minimal processing, maximum flavor.
5. Fish Broth
Every Cape Verdean cook has their own version of caldo de peixe. A rich broth of fish, tomatoes, onion, cassava, sweet potato, and fresh herbs. Warm, nourishing, and deep in flavor. On cooler evenings in the higher areas of Santiago, this is the ultimate comfort food.
6. Xerém
Xerém is a corn mush prepared with pieces of meat, vegetables, and spices. A traditional dish that you rarely see on the menu, but that you can find at local eateries and in markets. If you see xerém listed, order it.
7. Tuna Pie
Small, crispy pastries filled with tuna, onion, and vegetables. You can find them at bakeries, at the market, and from street vendors. Warm, inexpensive, and delicious as a snack or light breakfast. Paired with a cup of café com leite, a pastel de atum is the perfect way to start a day in Santiago.
8. Cachupa with Fried Egg on Top
Leftover cachupa is fried in a frying pan until light brown and crispy, topped with a fried egg. This is the breakfast of Santiago. Ask for it at your guesthouse or in a local cafe.
9. Papaya Jam
Cape Verdean sweets consist of tropical fruit preserves and jams, with papaya jam being the most famous. Thick, sweet, and lightly scented: excellent on bread or with cheese. In markets, you can find small jars to take home as a souvenir.
10. Grogue
Technically speaking, it's a beverage, but in Cape Verde, it is grogue a cultural phenomenon that you simply must experience. Made from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, distilled into a spirit of 40 to 60 percent alcohol. Raw, powerful, aromatic. Sip it, don't drink it. Taste it at a plantation in Cidade Velha or with a local farmer on Santiago.
Tips for eating on Santiago
Go to the local market. The Assomada market on Wednesday and Saturday is an experience. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and local products you won't find anywhere else.
Choose local eateries. Restaurants aimed at tourists are rarely the best. Look for small cafés and eateries where only Cape Verdeans sit.
Ask what is fresh. On an island, fresh is literally fresh from the sea or from the land. Ask the waiter what is fresh today.
Budget. Eating out in Santiago is cheap. A full meal at a local restaurant rarely costs more than 5 to 10 euros.
Do you have any questions about your trip to Cape Verde? Also read our frequently asked questions about a holiday to Cape Verde for practical travel information.
Do you really want to taste Cape Verdean cuisine?
The best way to discover Santiago's cuisine is with a local guide who knows where to find the real flavors. No tourist menus, but the places where Cape Verdeans eat themselves.
Choose the tour that suits you best:
- Santiago in one daydiscover the island including local eateries with a guide who knows the island.
- Tarrafal tourcombine the most beautiful beach of Santiago with fresh fish and local dishes on the coast.
Do you want to taste these dishes like locals do, with food and atmosphere combined? Check out our culinary experience in Praia and get acquainted with Cape Verdean cuisine on site.
