Arroz de cuxá

Cuxá rice is white rice mixed with cuxá, a green, slightly tart sauté. The base is vinagreira, a plant with acidic leaves (Hibiscus sabdariffa), cooked and chopped, to which toasted, ground sesame, dried shrimp, manioc flour and seasonings like onion, bell pepper and pimenta-de-cheiro are added. The result is a green rice with a tangy, toasted flavor.

Vinagreira arrived in Brazil from Africa, and the dish combines African, Indigenous and Portuguese influences. In the 19th century, cuxá rice was consumed in the bohemian life of São Luís. For a long time it was sold by Black women on trays on the sidewalks, and by boys who walked the streets with pots on their heads, served with fried fish.

In the 20th century, cuxá gained other meanings and came to be seen as comfort food and a symbol of Maranhense identity, present at family tables and in June festivals. An academic study reconstructed this trajectory from newspapers, chronicles and poems.

Using vinagreira requires care: in excess it makes the dish bitter. Each cook has her own measure.