Gastronomia, africanidades e a simbologia da comida de santo na culinária brasileira

Abstract

This monograph presents the creation of the dish Orá YêYê Ô as a proposal to valorize African heritage within Brazilian gastronomy, examining how contemporary culinary practice can incorporate ritual ingredients from Candomblé (e.g., pumpkin, honey, palm oil — dendê) while preserving their symbolic meaning. The study used a qualitative, exploratory, theoretical-practical approach that combined a bibliographic survey, experimental development (four prototypes) and critical analysis, together with photographic documentation and a technical fiche. Conceived as a contemporary offering to the orixá Oxum, the dish merges traditional techniques (coconut-milk rice, cooking/finishing in dendê) with molecular gastronomy methods (pumpkin espuma via siphon; mint spherification). Results indicate that ritual ingredients can be successfully reinterpreted in a gastronomic context: modern techniques, after technical refinements, fulfilled symbolic and sensory roles; ingredients such as dendê and honey reinforced ancestral references and demonstrated nutritional and sustainability potential. The study contributes a replicable practical protocol, documents ancestral knowledge, and identifies technical limitations and avenues for future research in decolonial gastronomy and sustainable culinary practices.