Flavors · Maceió

Sururu de capote

Sururu, a small mollusk from Lagoa Mundaú, cooked still in its shell with coconut milk, tomato, bell pepper and cilantro. It is the most typical way to serve sururu in Maceió; the sururu itself was declared intangible heritage of Alagoas.

Traditional dish from Maceió, Alagoas

Also known as: sururu

Updated October 2026

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Sururu de capote — Maceió, Brazil — Sururu de capote

Sururu de capote — Maceió, Brazil

Sururu is a dark-shelled mollusk, related to the mussel, that lives in the mud of Alagoas’ lagoons, especially in Lagoa Mundaú in Maceió. In sururu de capote, it is cooked still in the shell, the capote, in a sauce of coconut milk with tomato, onion, bell pepper, cilantro and annatto.

Gathering sururu is work done by families living on the lagoon’s shores, in neighborhoods like Vergel do Lago. Shellfish gatherers organized in cooperatives remove the mollusk from the bottom, clean it and sell it at markets. The sururu supply chain supports many families but faces environmental problems: pollution and changes in the lagoon’s salinity have caused the mollusk to decline in some periods.

In 2014, the State Council of Culture declared sururu an intangible heritage of Alagoas. The recognition is for the mollusk and the culture around it, also present in the state’s music and literature, and not for a specific dish. Sururu de capote is one of the most typical ways to prepare it.

Sururu also appears in caldinho de sururu, served in cups at bars and along the waterfront, and in moquecas. In the capote version, the shell remains on the plate and each person removes the mollusk with their fingers or with a fork.

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Where it comes from

Maceió , Alagoas
Sururu is harvested in Lagoa Mundaú in Maceió and is an intangible heritage of Alagoas; sururu de capote is its most typical preparation.

Ingredients

Sururu with shell, coconut milk, tomato, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, annatto, garlic, salt and pepper.

How it is eaten

Hot, with rice and pirão. The mollusk is removed from the shell with fingers or with a fork.

Your questions

Questions about Sururu de capote

What is sururu de capote?

It is sururu, a small mollusk from the lagoons of Alagoas, cooked still in its shell with coconut milk, tomato, bell pepper and cilantro. It is a typical dish of Maceió.

Is sururu a heritage of Alagoas?

Yes. In 2014, the State Council of Culture declared sururu an intangible heritage of Alagoas. The recognition is for the mollusk and the culture connected to it.

Where does Maceió’s sururu come from?

Mainly from Lagoa Mundaú, where shellfish gatherers collect the mollusk from the mud and sell it at markets.

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