Flavors · Natal

Ginga com tapioca

Fried little fish, the gingas, served on tapioca with coconut. Signature dish of Redinha beach in Natal, created by fishermen more than half a century ago and recognized as intangible heritage of the municipality and the state.

Traditional dish from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Also known as: ginga

Updated October 2026

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Ginga com tapioca — Natal, Brazil — Ginga com tapioca

Ginga com tapioca — Natal, Brazil

The ginga is a small fish, 10 to 15 centimeters long, like the manjubinha. The little fish are skewered in rows on a stick, fried in a mixture of oil and dendê palm oil and served on a coconut tapioca. It is eaten like an open sandwich.

The dish was born in Redinha, a beach in the north zone of Natal, on the banks of the Potengi River, created by local fishermen more than fifty years ago. The Redinha Public Market is the best-known point of origin and sale, and some of today's vendors are descendants of those who started preparing the dish.

Ginga with tapioca is recognized as intangible heritage of Natal and of Rio Grande do Norte. Natal’s Tourism Secretariat promotes the Ginga Festival, featuring contests among Redinha merchants and new recipes using the little fish.

After the recognition, the dish also began appearing in restaurants in other neighborhoods and in creative versions, such as moquecas and ginga crepes. The traditional form remains the same: fried little fish on tapioca, eaten with the hands, facing the sea.

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Where it comes from

Natal , Rio Grande do Norte
Signature dish of Redinha beach in Natal, recognized as intangible heritage of the municipality and the state.

Ingredients

Gingas (small fish, like the manjubinha), salt, oil and dendê palm oil for frying; tapioca with coconut.

How it is eaten

With your hands, like an open sandwich: the fried little fish on the tapioca. It is served at Mercado da Redinha and at beach stalls.

When it is eaten

All year round. The Ginga Festival, organized by Natal’s Tourism Secretariat, usually takes place in Redinha; check the dates before going.

Your questions

Questions about Ginga com tapioca

What is ginga with tapioca?

They are fried little fish, the gingas, served on a coconut tapioca. It is the signature dish of Redinha beach in Natal.

How do you eat ginga with tapioca?

The fried little fish are placed on the coconut tapioca, which is held with the hands.

What fish is the ginga?

It is a small fish, 10 to 15 centimeters long, like the manjubinha, common on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte.

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