Cabo Verde: Cachupa and Cuscuz
Cuscuz: corn flour and cinnamon cake, topped with spicy papaya jam and goat cheese.
Ok, confession: when I first saw Cabo Verde on the list of countries my first thought was, “Wait, I thought Cabo was somewhere in Mexico…” So, obviously I’m learning right along with you lol! Cabo Verde (also known as Cape Verde) is actually an archipelago country off the northwest coast of Africa and is made up of 10 volcanic islands.
Portuguese explorers discovered the uninhabited island in the 15th century and established the first European settlement in the tropics. They colonized the island and it played a large role in the Atlantic slave trade due to its location. Today the island is inhabited mostly by people of mixed African and European descent and they mostly speak a Cape Verdean Creole, although Portuguese is also recognized as the official language. Interestingly, there are actually more Cape Verdeans living outside of Cabo Verde (like in Portugal, Brazil and in the U.S.) than on the islands!
I had a lot of fun cooking this country and got take some creative license for both dishes!
Cachupa!
For the main dish, I made Cachupa, which is the country’s national dish. It’s a meat, bean and root veggie stew that’s cooked low and slow for several hours. There were a bunch of recipes with varying ingredients in them (each home makes it a little differently) so I got to get a little creative and put the things I wanted into the stew. There are 2 types of cachupa: Cachupa Rica (includes meat- whatever kind you choose, including fish) and Cahupa Pobre (no meat, except maybe fish). It also generally includes hominy, some type of legume and a root veggie.
Since I made this stew right around St. Patrick’s Day I thought it was only right to use cabbage and corned beef. I also added chorizo, collard greens, yuca, sweet potato, garlic, onions and pinto, kidney and lima beans. My version was adapted from this Maio Cape Verde recipe and it was super delicious and VERY filling!
Cachupa
-1 lb hominy
-3/4 cup pinto beans
-3/4 cup kidney beans
-3/4 cup lima beans
-2 onions
-5 garlic cloves
-2 bay leaves
-1 lb corned beef
-1 lb chorizo
-1/2 cabbage, chopped
-1 bunch collard greens, chopped
-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
-2 cups chopped yuca/cassava
1.) Soak hominy and beans in cold water the night before cooking.
2.) Cook hominy and beans at a low boil with onions, garlic and bay leaves for 2 hours, or until hominy starts to soften.
3.) Add corned beef, chorizo, cabbage, greens, potatoes and yuca. Continue simmering until all ingredients are cooked. Add more water if necessary.
4.) Serve and enjoy!
The other dish I made is called Cuscuz de Milho (no, not couscous), which is a sweet corn flour and cinnamon cake that’s cooked on the stove top in a clay pot! Or in my case, a flowerpot in a paint can… In Cape Verde, there’s a very specific clay pot used for this dish, but it’s pretty difficult to find in the U.S., so it was recommended to use this flowerpot method instead! I really liked the flavor of this cake, but it was a little on the dry side, so I topped it with goat cheese and homemade papaya pepper jam, since papaya jam and goat cheese is a popular snack in Cabo Verde!
My fancy flowerpot setup!
For the Cuscuz, I used this recipe from Crumb Snatched and it worked out really well!
I loved eating this spicy papaya jam on homemade bread with Kucha FoCo Cocoa tea!
And if you’re interested in my Spicy Papaya Jam, check out the recipe below!
Spicy Papaya Jam
-1 whole papaya, peeled and chopped
-1 cup granulated white sugar
-1 lime
-1 to 2 habanero peppers
1.) Chill a spoon (for testing if the jam is done) by placing it in the freezer.
2.) Put all ingredients into a large saucepan on low-medium low heat. Mash papaya as it heats up and softens.
3.) Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens.
4.) While the jam cooks, wash and boil your canning jars and lids and let dry.
5.) Test jam done-ness with the cold spoon. Scoop up some jam and tilt the spoon to let it fall out. If the jam drips out of the spoon, it isn’t ready yet. If it falls out in one big clump (more or less), it’s done!
6.) Pour jam into clean jars, add lids (but don’t screw on tooo tight), and place into simmering water. Bring to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. The water should always cover jars by at least 1”, so add more water if needed while cooking.
7.) Remove from water and cool. The jars can be stored for up to 1 year in the cupboard before opening. Refrigerate once opened.
*Yields 2-3 jars of jam.