SLC-S28/W2-“Local Taste, Global Twist| Street-food!”

Hi Food Lovers ❤️!

Welcome to my blog! The week 2 of local taste, global Twist challenge immediately drew me to of the the most favorite street snacks in my state; Akara (bean cake).
Akara is hot, crispy fluffy bean balls fried at road side stands, and we usually eat it with pap (oki) bread, or garri.

Growing up, we loved taking Akara and pap with enough liquid milk especially on Saturday mornings. Now in my own house, I love having it as breakfast at least twice a week.

That is why for this challenge, I wanted to honor my childhood comfort food; but then also give it a Visa on a global journey. Yeah with a mix of research, creativity, and a passion for culture, I will transform my favorite traditional snack (Akara) into a vibrant international fusion dish! So stay connected.

Why I Chose Akara:

Akara is not just a snack or food, for Akwa Ibomites it's a symbol of morning comfort and community. In my state women who fry Akara woke as early as 5 AM to prepare it, yes they light their fire before the morning sun rises. People gather with plates of pap or loaves of bread in hand. Akara feels at home, warm, and part of our identity.

And guess what?

Brazilians also have street snacks that looks like Akara, they call it Acarajé. This snack is made from beans too, but stuffed with spicy shrimp 🦐 paste, vegetables, and sometimes sauce. This inspired me to merge culture and give our Akara a global, colorful and exciting twist.

My Inspiration: Brazil + Mexico

Brazilian Influence (Acarajé)

Brazilian Acarajé is split open and filled like a sandwich with: shrimp, spicy pastes, vegetables, and sometimes salad.

And I feel the presentation is beautiful and street-friendly.

The Mexican Influence (Salsa & Tacos)

The Mexicans love bright flavors like tomatoes, onions, peppers, and limes all mixed into fresh salsa. After reflecting, I realized that I could blend these two cultures perfectly with the crispy, mild flavor of Akara.

So I came up with combining the Brazilian filling style with the Mexican Salsa brightness.

My Global Twist Creation: Akara Pocket Bites with Shrimp and Fresh Salsa

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Process:

Step 1: Preparing The Classic Akara

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Step 2: The Mexican Salsa:

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Step 3: Creating The Akara Pocket Style:

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The colors: red, green, gold brown were so beautiful ❤️😍

The aroma? Was just heavenly!

New Flavor Experience?

This Akara fusion has:

• The crispy of Nigeria style frying
• The savory taste of Brazilian shrimp
• The fresh zing of Mexican Salsa
• And lastly, the smoky comfort of Akwa Ibom street snacks.

It was delish, spicy, tangy and amazingly international!!!

How People Would React If This Was Sold On The Street:

My people love trying new things, and ideas especially when the base is familiar.

They trusted Akara, so seeing a sandwich style would surely attract them.

I imagine some reactions like, "this one na oyibo Akara." "Intercontinental Akara," "Omo, e sweet pass the normal Akara o." Hahaha 😂

The street vendors would still love it because, it's still cheap to produce, it looks premium, the ingredients are accessible, it tastes heavenly and lastly it can be sold in small takeaway just like street shawarma 😉.

Oh tourists would simply fall in love instantly, because it looks like mini taco or fritter.

Recreating Akara taught me how easily our local foods can be transformed into global masterpieces. We just need to think creatively, you see a typical Nigerian street snack can carry flavors from Brazil and Mexico while still maintaining our cultural root.

Akara may be simple, but this challenge proves that it can be intercontinental, bold and unforgettable!

I'm inviting my friends @okere-blessing @eliany and @alysaa to take part in this contest