Best Tastes of Sal
Discover hearty dishes such as cachupa, grilled tuna, and seafood stews. Sal’s cuisine is simple and fresh, based on local fish, corn, and seasonal vegetables.
Pontche: The Strong and Sweet Spirit of Cape Verde
Cape Verde may be best known for grogue. Still, its sweeter cousin, pontche, carries an altogether different reputation.
Cachupa – Cape Verde’s Beloved National Stew: Discover the Taste and Learn the Recipe!
Cachupa is a typical dish of Cape Verde and has two main types: Cachupa Rica (which translates to rich), made with various types of meat, and Cachupa Pobre (which translates to poor) with fish only. The distinction between the types of Cachupa has to do with the fact that Rica contains meat, which makes the dish more expensive, and only accessible to the better off, while the poor – Pobre – version is more accessible to all.
From Cane to Culture: The Story of Grogue in Cape Verde
Grogue—also known locally as grogu or grogo—is an artisanal sugar‑cane spirit that stands at the heart of Cape Verde’s heritage. Crafted predominantly on the island of Santo Antão, this robust aguardente carries centuries of history, culture and craftsmanship.
Cape Verdean Cuisine: The Simplicity, Freshness, and the Sea
The cuisine of Sal Island is shaped by the island’s geography, limited agricultural resources, and proximity to the sea. Daily meals revolve around what is local and available: fresh fish, corn, beans, root vegetables, and seasonal greens. Tuna, wahoo, grouper, and moray eel are commonly caught and served grilled, fried, or in stews. Due to the island’s dry climate, most produce is imported from other islands or abroad. This limits the variety and complexity of the cuisine. But the limitation has fostered a culture of adaptability and simplicity. Meals are often seasoned with garlic, onion, bay leaf, and a touch of malagueta pepper, keeping the flavours bold but uncluttered.
The Taste of Culture
Food on Sal is not just about eating. It is a social act. Meals are shared among family or with guests, often outdoors, and accompanied by local grogue (sugarcane liquor) or a cold Strela beer. Whether in a village courtyard or a beachside café, food serves as a moment to pause, gather, and connect.
Newcomers, New Tastes
Tourism has introduced international influences, particularly in Santa Maria. Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Brazilian dishes are widely available. Still, local kitchens continue to prioritise traditional cooking methods and island-grown identity. Sal’s cuisine is not elaborate, but it is sincere — anchored in local ingredients, shaped by environment, and always part of community life.
Rissóis – Breaded, Deep-Fried Pastries With Creamy Stuffing + Recipe
Rissóis – Cape Verde’s Crispy, Creamy Hand Pies In the warm kitchens of Cape Verde, where the scent of garlic and frying oil drifts through tiled courtyards and tin-roofed bakeries, one irresistible snack draws people together like few others: rissóis. These...
What’s that tuna? – Six species of Cabo Verdean tuna
Although fisheries contribute only around 5% to the GNP of Cabo Verde, the sector is significant to the economy. The fishing industry employs around eleven thousand people, and fish is the leading source of animal protein in the Cabo Verdean diet. The export of fish...
Canja de Galinha: The Rich and Delicious Chicken Soup
There are dishes that nourish the body, and then there are dishes that nourish the soul. In Cape Verde, canja de galinha does both. This rich, comforting chicken soup — thicker than a broth, lighter than a stew — is found simmering in kitchens from Santiago to Santo...
Pontche: traditional sweet Cabo Verdean liqueur
On the islands of Cape Verde, where steep terraces meet Atlantic winds and sugarcane fields line volcanic hills, there’s a drink that speaks softly but deeply of tradition: pontche. A smooth, molasses-sweet liqueur blended from the archipelago’s famous grogue, pontche...
Grogue, Grogu or Grog: The Traditional Cabo Verdean Drink
On the volcanic hills of Santo Antão, one of the Cape Verdean islands, the air carries a distinct sweetness during harvest season. It's the smell of fresh sugarcane being crushed, the first step in making grogue — a clear, potent spirit that has flowed through the...