Calulu
Calulu is a typical dish from Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. Preparations of it can include fish or meat.
Origin
In Angola, calulu is the name given by the Bacongo to the portion of food set aside at the end of a meal by women to leave for their husbands and is considered by many linguists to be the true origin of the word. However, certain references point to a non-African origin for the name of the dish.Some dictionaries record the word "calalu" to refer to various vegetables, such as yam leaves. A similar dish is also found in Jamaica, called callaloo, which is made with indigenous amaranth. In Brazil, "caruru," a word derived from the Tupi-Guarani or Angola "caaruru," refers to a type of Amaranth endemic or native to South America, but also very popular in Africa. In this country, the dish called caruru is similar to the calulu of Angola.
On the other hand, this term appears to have Arawak origins and entered the European language through South American Spanish. Apparently, the plant was taken to the Americas by African slaves, but the name of both the plant and the food was imported from that region to West Africa.
Fish calulu
Fish calulu is made with dried or fresh fish or dried meat. Other ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, okra, sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, and palm oil.In Angola, fish calulu is prepared in a pan, alternating layers of dried and fresh fish with the other ingredients. It is cooked over medium heat and served with funge and beans with palm oil. In São Tomé and Príncipe, fish calulu can also be prepared with shrimp.