From the long yard of the white house with blue windows, rhythmic singing came. “Saint Cosmas ordered two blue condoms to be made/ On his feast day, Saint Cosmas wants caruru”, the women tirelessly repeated, sitting around a wooden table, while cutting the okra. Immense bowls filled with this ingredient of African origin that won the hearts of Brazilians.
Some say that the count exceeded 5,000 okras. Everything to serve the guests, who didn’t stop arriving. Occasionally it was possible to recognize some famous people such as Regina Casé and Gilberto Gil. People who came from far away to Santo Amaro da Purificação to kiss the hand of Claudionor Vianna Telles Velloso, guardian of the customs of Recôncavo Baiano. The year was 2007 and the hostess was celebrating her 100th birthday.
Claudior went down in history as Dona Canô defender of palm oil, words and popular Brazilian festivals, mother of eight children, including singers Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia.
Born on September 16, the matriarch of the Velloso family (originally spelled with two l’s) made a point of celebrating her birthday with a large caruru, in honor of Saint Cosmas and Damian.
“Each year the party got a little bigger. The okra cutting begins the day before. And there were so many people that it was difficult to get through with the dishes to serve”, recalls the writer Mabel Velloso, one of Dona Canô’s daughters.
Among the more than 30 books she published is “Salt is a gift – Recipes by Dona Canô” . And there it is, on page 107, the caruru – also in the version prepared with cow tongue, taioba or spinach leaves.
“These family recipes tell a little of our life story. I remember my mother always checking that everything was ok in the kitchen. It was almost a ritual and these memories penetrate us”, says Mabel.
And the ritual was not only during preparation, but also when serving. First came the children. Afterwards, the adults served a little bit of each recipe – vatapá and black-eyed peas were never missing – in piles next to each other. To accompany, a good cachacinha.
The party has lost its rhythm since Dona Canô died in 2012. Now, Rodrigo, the eldest son of the Velloso clan, was the one who took charge of preparing the caruru. “But it’s a small party, just for the family”, adds Mabel.
In Dona Madá’s kitchen
Dona Madalena Freitas, an accomplished cook (and mother of singer Carlinhos Brown), is an expert on the subject. She learned to make caruru with her life.
“I didn’t know my grandmothers and my mother didn’t like cooking,” says Madá, as she is known by her friends.
“I got married very early and had my first child at 16, so necessity made me learn. My ex-husband’s family had good cooks and I just kept an eye on them. Sometimes I asked ‘how do you do it, why do I do it like this’. It was a lie! I didn’t even know what it was like, I just wanted the recipe”, he adds, laughing.
Dona Madá began her career in the kitchen in 1993, with Baladinha. Together with two friends, she served food on the porch of her house. Later, she opened Cantinho da Tina, which closed in 2019. By the end of the year, she will open De Madá, in a mansion in Candeal, in Salvador. There, she guarantees that she will serve the caruru whenever they ask for it.
“Here in Bahia, caruru is highly sought after by those who follow African-based religions. I always do it on Saint Cosmas and Damian’s Day, Children’s Day and also on Saint Barbara’s Day (December 4th)”, he explains.
But what is caruru?
According to Dona Madá, caruru is a recipe prepared with finely chopped okra, dried shrimp, onion, peanuts, cashew nuts and palm oil. “It has the same base as vatapá”, she summarizes. However, it is necessary to explain here that there is a difference between the caruru and the caruru of Cosme and Damião, which was born within the Candomblé terreiros of the Northeast.
“Caruru de Cosme is an offering to several Orixás. Here in Brazil, with religious syncretism, the twin saints, born in the Middle East, resemble the Ibeji of Yoruba culture”, says researcher José Carmo, partner at the Casa de Ieda restaurant, in São Paulo.
During September, the house offers Caruru de Cosme which, in addition to being prepared with okra – which is an offering to Xangô – comes with other dishes in honor of various orixás, such as vatapá (for Oxum), acarajé (for Iansã) and acaçá or white corn (for Oxalá).
Saint’s food
In Afro-Brazilian religions, there are several offerings intended for the orixás that are included within the so-called Holy Food. According to the book “Brazilian Cuisine, Very Prazer”, by Roberta Malta Saldanha, “when preparing them, some precepts must be respected: honey is forbidden to Oxóssi, the lamb cannot even enter and a house consecrated to Iansã, the Palm oil should never be offered to Oxalá.”
Many of these dishes, however, left the terreiro and ended up being incorporated into Brazilian cuisine. As is the case with caruru.
Long live Cosme and Damião!
According to tradition, Cosmas and Damian were doctors and lived in the 3rd century. Both were martyred in Syria during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. After they died, they became the protectors of doctors and children who suffer violence.
In Brazil, due to religious syncretism, Catholic saints ended up being similar to Ibeji, the Yoruba orisha who also protects children and ensures that time does not make their lives bitter.
The feast of Saint Cosmas and Damian is celebrated on September 27th. In some places in Brazil, sweets are distributed in paper bags to children. In other regions, caruru is served to anyone who wants to get there.
“Adults sing songs from the saints’ rituals, while the doors are opened for people to enter, in line, to receive their dish, and so everyone gets together. There is no need for an invitation for this party: anyone who wants can come and get their dish and participate”, say Tereza Paim and Sonia Robatto, in the book “Na Mesa Baiana – Recipes, stories, seasonings and typically Bahian spirit”.
Caruru recipe by Ieda Matos, from Casa de Ieda restaurant, São Paulo
Ingredients
- 30 okra
- 2 medium onions
- 80 g dried smoked shrimp
- 3 tablespoons of palm oil
- half an American glass of water
- Salt to taste
Method of preparation
Cut the okra lengthwise crosswise, forming four parts. Cut into very small pieces. Blend the onions and shrimp in a blender. Reserve. In a pan, heat 3 tablespoons of palm oil and sauté the onion and shrimp. Add the okra and sauté. Add the water and let it cook, stirring constantly. About 5 minutes after the first boil, lower the heat and stir to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep on low heat for approximately 25 minutes. Since the shrimp affects the seasoning, taste and see if more salt needs to be added. Finish with a drizzle of palm oil.
Ieda’s tip: Use new okra, as it is softer and fiber-free, as well as tastier. If you have any doubts when buying in bulk, remember to break off the tip. If it doesn’t separate and a fiber remains, it’s because it’s already too ripe.
Caruru leaf recipe from Dona Canô
Ingredients
- 100 cut okra
- ½ kg of dried ground shrimp
- 1 cup roasted and ground peanuts
- 1 cup roasted and ground cashew nuts
- 1 cup palm oil
- 3 onions blended in a blender
- 1 piece of grated ginger
- Taioba, spinach or cow’s tongue leaves
- Salt to taste
Method of preparation
Throw the cut okra in a pan of boiling water. Let the okra cook until the seeds turn pink. Add the seasonings and let it cook well, until it looks “old.” Leaf pigweed is the same as okra-only pigweed. To make it tastier, add cow tongue leaves (a type of endive), taioba or spinach, boiled, drained and finely chopped or blended in a blender with a little coconut milk, until it forms a type of paste. Ground dried shrimp, onions blended in a blender, palm oil, roasted and ground chestnuts and peanuts mixed with okra and well-cooked leaves add the finishing touch.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
