18 Top Traditional Angola Food Recipes (2024)

Traditional Angola food recipes are one of the tastiest cuisines in Southern Africa. Their dishes represent different traditions across different parts of the country.

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History of Angola Food Recipes

Angola’s diverse culinary preference is heavily influenced by neighboring countries like Zambia, Congo, and Namibia. There are also some culinary influences from Portugal and Brazil due to their colonial backgrounds.

The leading staple food in Angola is Funje, made from cassava, rice, and beans. Angolan cuisine is also known for using palm oil in most recipes. Their meals also include a mixture of tropical fruits like pineapples. Seafood such as crayfish, prawns, and cacusso (tilapia) is popular with Angolans. Angolans also love various types of meat, such as beef, lamb, goat meat, and mutton. It’s uncommon to find vegetables in their meal.

Angola is also home to street foods such as Ginguba Torrada (roasted peanuts). Other popular street foods include picole and Bombo Assado (grilled cassava).

Angolans have unusual dining etiquette. They expect visitors to come bearing gifts when invited for a meal. Meals are served in large bowls, where the host scoops the food into the diners’ bowls on their behalf. The eldest person is the first to be served, and everyone at the table should avoid maintaining eye contact with the host.

Popular Angola Food Recipes

Here are some of the Angola food recipes you should try at home.

Calulu de Peixe: Calulu, which means fish and vegetable stew, is a well-known food from Angola with a Brazilian influence. Its original preparation involves dried fish, palm oil, tomatoes, eggplant okra, and onions. However, there are different preparation variations. It is served with Funge, boiled yam, or rice.

Cachupa: Cachupa is originally Cape Verde’s traditional meal. It’s regarded as a poor man’s meal, despite its uniqueness. It has various versions, but the Angolan version has cabbage, cassava, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and beans. It’s mostly eaten at dinner, but Angolans usually reheat its leftover Cachupa and serve it with other foods for breakfast.

Mufete: Mufete hails from Angola’s Luanda region and is mainly prepared during celebrations like weddings. Mufete is made using grilled fish, boiled plantain, sweet potatoes, onions, and flour. It is eaten at dinnertime or on weekends since it’s a heavy meal.

Cachupa: This meal is originally from Portugal. It’s prepared using sausages, onions, garlic, tomato sauce, and boiled eggs. The dish can be served with Funge and eaten for lunch or dinner.

Caldeirada de Cabrito: Cabrito is a goat meat stew, a popular ingredient in Angola. The dish is a favorite at parties, weddings, and other festivities. It is made by cooking goat meat with herbs and onions. You can add some Piri Piri (chili) for spiciness or plantains to make the meal sweeter. It is served with Funge, rice, kizaca, or other traditional dishes.

FAQ’s About Traditional Angola Food Recipes

What Traditional Angola Food Recipes is Their Favorite?
Traditional Angola Food Recipes are a favorite for locals and foreigners alike. This is due to their deliciousness and the history the country shares with its neighbors and Portugal. Angolan cuisine is also known for incorporating seafood into its dishes.

What is the Staple Used In Most Traditional Angola Food Recipes?
Angola’s staple food is Cassava. It is also ground into fuba (flour), making Funge one of the most popular Angola foods. Other foods that are also considered staples are corn, seafood, beans, rice, and plantains.

What is Angola’s Most Popular Drink?
Kissangua is the most popular drink in Angola. It originates from Southern Angola. It is made from corn flour, pineapple peel, or sweet potato. Other Angolan drinks include Mukua and soft drinks.

What do Angolans Eat for Breakfast?
Most Angolans eat Funge for breakfast and fruits such as pineapple or mango. Others prefer eating bread made from Fuba flour, while others prefer Cachupa leftovers served along with eggs. Tea and eggs are also popular breakfast options in Angola.

Do People Eat Bugs as Part of Angola Cuisine?
Yes, they do. Over fifteen types of insects are edible in the Uige Province of Angola. The most popular insect is a type of caterpillar fried with garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and onions and served over funge or rice.

18 Top Traditional Angola Food Recipes (1)

Our 18 Traditional Angola Food Recipes

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1. Muamba de Galinha – Angolan Chicken Stew

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Muamba de Galinha originated in Central Africa and is one of the popular Angola food recipes. Often served with Funge (cassava flour cooked in boiling water). Occasionally, chefs will add Gindungo, a kind of Angolan hot chile pepper, to this food to create a spicy kick.

You will be addicted to the flavor of this chicken stew. You slowly cook chicken with squash, okra, and muamba de dendem (red palm oil sauce) to make this delicious and attractive food.

2. Cachupa – Sausage Stew

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Cachupa used to be the top traditional Angola recipes for poor people with low prices and high nutritional value. This food is derived from Cape Verde. When it was introduced to Angola, it was modified to suit the local taste by Angolans. Besides beans as the main ingredient, you will find meat, potatoes, bacon, sausage, cassava, and cabbage in this food.

Typically, you will find more ingredients in the Cachupa Rica version. This version of cachupa is rich with meats and beans. Slow-cooked over hours and full of flavor, it is perfect for feeding a crowd. Angolans also re-fry leftover Cachupa to serve with eggs or other dishes for breakfast.

3. Cabrito – Goat Meat Stew

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If you are a fan of goat meat, you should not miss Cabrito. Goat meat is a common ingredient in Angola cuisine. You can easily find goat meat products of Angola exported to many countries worldwide.

Caldeirada de Cabrito is a traditional Angolan Goat Stew. Using Portuguese and Angolan ingredients in unison, it combines the wonderful flavors of chourico and goat together in a rich and flavorful stew with a spicy kick coming from some Piri Piri sauce.

4. Mufete – Cacusso Fish

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When it comes to a well known traditional Angola recipe, you have to mention Mufete, which is one of the most famous foods in this African country. It originated from the Luanda region. Initially, it appeared at weddings and celebrations, but locals enjoy this dish for daily meals nowadays.

The beaches in Luanda have a lot of cacusso fish, and it is the primary ingredient that usually appears in the Mufete. Besides grilled fish, the food contains beans, red oil, boiled plantain, sweet potatoes, and flour.

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5. Makayabu – Salted Cod With Sauteed Vegetables

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If you like dry fish, it is an excellent experience if you have a chance to try Makayabu, one of the traditional Angola food recipes. Although it is famous in Angola, Makayabu is authentic Congolese food. Cacusso or codfish plays a vital role in making this fantastic recipe.

After soaking about 2 hours in the water, the chef will marinate fish with spices, salt, tomato, vinegar, and cooking oil before cooking. Angolans usually eat it with Funge, Kizaca, Calulu, and cabbage to enhance the taste.

6. Funge – Cassava Porridge

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Funje is most popular traditional Angola recipes for side dishes. It is made of cassava flour whisked into boiling water. Funge (or Funje) is a favorite Angolan lunch recipe that is processed from Fuba (corn flour) or Yuca (cassava). People in South Angola often eat Funge containing corn, while Funge with cassava is more prevalent in the North.

Angolans often eat it with meat, fish, and vegetables. To enjoy the richer taste, you can try the versions containing stock, such as meat or fish stock. In particular, you will use your fingers to eat this food. You will crush the Funge into a small ball and dip it into sauce or stew to enjoy.

7. Piri Piri Sauce – Red Chili Peppers Sauce

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Piri Piri is a famous spicy sauce in Angola cuisine. This fantastic recipe was created by Portuguese explorers around the 15th century when they found bird’s eye chili pepper in Portugal’s then-territories in Southern Africa, especially Mozambique.

This type of chili is the main ingredient of this sauce. In addition, the appearance of garlic, vinegar, red wine, paprika, and other European materials helps the taste of Piri Piri become more diverse.

8. Angola Farofa – Toasted Cassava Flour

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Farofa is an Angola recipe of rice and beans with manioc flour on top. Manioc flour is largely composed of Cassava that is also cultivated in the country, therefore it is easy to attain this cuisine even at home level when in Angola.

Beans and rice are cooked separately with Falofa and then covered with manioc after all the cooking steps are completed.

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9. Calulu de Peixe – Fish And Vegetable Stew

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Fish calulu or Calulu de peixe is a signature Angolan and Sao Tome fish stew with different vegetables, typically cooked in palm oil. Calulu de peixe is rich in different flavors and spices, and is hailed as one of the most popular Angolan dishes.

One of the main ingredients it needs is the okra. Another main ingredient is the whitefish either codfish or tilapia. Unlike this recipe, calulu is traditionally made with dried fish.

10. Kizaca – Cassava Leaves Stew

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A super tasty and heavy greens plant-based stew. Kizaka is a healthy, and an authentic plant-based dish that is also wildly popular in Angola recipes. I found cassava leaves at a local African grocer, but chopped spinach would also make a good substitute.

11. Chikuanga – Angolan Cassava Bread

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Chikuanga is a well-known bread processed from cassava. This fantastic food is a specialty of people in the northeast of Angola. The softness and flexibility of cassava flour will leave deep impressions in your mind.

The flavor of banana leaves is a characteristic feature of this Angola cuisine. Cassava will be more fragrant and delicious when wrapped in banana leaves before boiling. It is fantastic to enjoy Chikuanga with Bagre Fumado and Mufete.

12. Fumbua – Wild Spinach Stew

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Fumbua is a food made from leaves found in tropical forests in Africa. These leaves only grow naturally, and people cannot cultivate them. This Angola recipe also contains tomatoes, onions, palm oil, and ground peanuts.

It is a specialty in the North of Angola and is favored by the people here. Besides, Congo is also the nation where this food is popular. Fumbua contains many vitamins and is often eaten with Funge, Bagre Fumado, and Chickuanga.

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13. Caldo De Peixe – Fish Stew

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Although it does not have originated in Angola, it is one of the favorite Angola food recipes of the people here. Caldo de Peixe is one of the most traditional Cape Verdean dishes. It’s a rich and flavorful fish stew made from fresh saltwater fish, bananas, and root vegetables in a savory broth.

You will immerse yourself in the natural flavor of fresh fish when enjoying it. Angolans often eat it with sweet potatoes and cassava on breakfast after the parties to cure hangovers. The plentiful amount of nutrients in the fish will help cleanse up your system faster.

14. Catatos – Angolan Caterpillar

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This traditional Angola recipes dish is packed with nutritional value. Catatos have a higher proportion of protein, iron and fat than beef and fish, with an even higher energy value. Serve the Catatos with funge or chikuanga and pili pili hot sauce. Tip: For a creamier variation, ½ cup of groundnuts can be added with the tomatoes.

15. Cocada Amarela – Angolan Coconut Custard

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When referring to Angolan desserts, it is impossible not to mention Cocada Amarela. This is a traditional dessert containing eggs and coconut. The abundance of eggs used in this food leads to a beautiful golden shade.

Its name “Cocada Amarela” means “yellow Cocada”. Because of the profound influences of Portugual on Angola cuisine, this food is pretty similar to Portuguese pastries, especially in the liberal use of egg yolks.

16. Pineappoe Kissangua

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Kissangua is a traditional drink know to Angolans. It can be made from corn, pineapple peel, sweet potato, etc. This Angola recipe will show you how to make pineapple kissaangua. Super easy and with easy to find ingredients.

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17. Bolo de Ginguba – Peanut Sponge Cake

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Bolo de Ginguba is the best of the traditional Angola food recipes for Peanut Sponge Cake. Although desserts are not the most typical eats in Angolan cuisine as fresh fruit is the preferred dessert of choice, they are some unique treats like Bolo de Ginguba that are quite great. It is a a simple yet richly decadent sponge cake with the unique addition of peanut flavor. It makes for a sponge cake with quite an interesting flavor and sweetness that you will surely enjoy.

18. Pé de Moleque – Peanut ad Caramel Candy

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If you like peanut brittle you will love this top Angola recipes for dessert. It has more peanuts than your average brittle. It is quick and pretty easy to make. Angola ranks 21st in the world for peanut production and used quite a bit in their cuisine.

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