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{{Short description|Brazilian seafood stew}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Moqueca
| caption = '''Moqueca''' made with [[Shrimp and prawn as food|shrimp]], [[cilantro]], and red [[bell peppers]].
| alternate_name = 
| country = 
| image_size = 300px
| creator = 
| course = 
| type = [[Stew]]
| served = 
| main_ingredient = Seafood, tomatoes, onions
| variations = Moqueca capixaba, moqueca baiana, moqueca paraense
| calories = 
| other = 
| image = Moqueca.jpg
| place_of_origin = [[Brazil]]
}}
{{Brazilian cuisine}}
'''Moqueca''' ({{IPA|pt|moˈkɛkɐ|IPA}} or {{IPA|pt|muˈkɛkɐ|IPA}} depending on the dialect, also spelled '''muqueca''') is a [[Cuisine of Brazil|Brazilian]] seafood stew. Moqueca is typically made with shrimp or fish in a base of tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime, [[coriander]], [[palm oil]] and [[coconut milk]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=18 August 2020 |title=History of Moqueca |url=https://independente.com.br/historia-da-moqueca/ |website=[[Independente.com.br]]}}</ref>

The dish and its countless variations are present in the cuisine of several Brazilian states and compete for the position of national culinary symbol – in 2013, in a promotional survey by the Ministry of Tourism, the typical recipe that could not be missed on a tourist's table was chosen, even displacing [[feijoada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Moqueca é o prato preferido nas redes |url=https://www.gov.br/turismo/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/moqueca-e-o-prato-preferido-nas-redes |publisher=Ministério do Turismo do Brazil |access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref> According to Luís da Câmara Cascudo, author of History of Food in Brazil (Global), the fish that the Indians baked wrapped in leaves was called pokeka.{{fact|date=July 2024}} Just like the word, which made “make a wrap”, the dish was gradually transformed, taking on the way of cooking in each place. In Bahia, where African influence prevailed, coconut milk and palm oil became mandatory ingredients – dorado, shark, whiting and sea bass are the most used fish. In the Espírito Santo version, Caloca Fernandes, author of Gastronomic journey through Brazil (Senac-SP), sees a purer aspect of Portuguese stews. In moqueca from Pará, an Amazonian fish that is accompanied by [[tucupi]], [[Acmella oleracea|jambu]] and shrimp. In Manaus, versions based on freshwater fish such as [[Arapaima gigas|pirarucu]] and [[Sorubim|sorubim]] also prevail.{{fact|date=July 2024}}

Regardless of region, cooking in a ceramic pan is often seen as an essential part of the dish, as it is capable of retaining heat and keeping the broth steaming for longer.{{fact|date=July 2024}} In Espírito Santo, the subject is taken so seriously that it has become a heritage site – the Ofício das Paneleiras de Goiabeiras, a neighborhood in Vitória, was registered as a cultural asset by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) in 2002.{{fact|date=July 2024}} To this day, these ceramic pans are often made with clay from the region according to the indigenous technique: after being modeled by hand, they receive dye made from [[Rhizophora mangle|red mangrove]] bark, and are burned in the open air. The raw material used goes beyond keeping the moqueca hot. “This type of clay reduces the acidity of tomatoes and peppers, which is why moqueca from Espírito Santo does not cause heartburn”, guarantees Paulo Cesar Casagrande, owner of the Meaípe restaurant in São Paulo. At Meaípe, the Capixaba whiting moqueca is served on the table with rice and pirão. “The Bahian makes the pirão like the Indians: he puts the broth on the plate and throws the raw flour on top. We do it like the Portuguese: first we hydrate the flour in cold water and only then add the broth. As the raw flour ferments in the belly, the Bahian pirão is heavier,” explains Paulo.{{fact|date=July 2024}}

== Origins ==
The dish's origins are unclear. It resembles a Portuguese pre-colonial dish, but modern versions call for African ingredients such as palm oil and coconut milk brought to the region by Portuguese slave traders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferst |first=Devra |date=2016-03-04 |title=Moqueca Is The Best Seafood Stew You've Never Heard Of |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/691569/moqueca-brazil-cecil-jj-johnson-harlem-nyc/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=[[Tasting Table]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Ingredients ==

=== Bahia ===
[[File:MOQUECAB.jpg|thumb|Moqueca baiana topped with eggs and chopped cilantro.]]
'''''Moqueca baiana''''' was developed in the state of [[Bahia]], Brazil. It was further influenced by African and Portuguese cuisines by adding dendê [[palm oil]], coconut milk, and peppers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Komolafe |first=Yewande |date=2021-03-19 |title=A Stew That Captures the Essence of the Sea |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/dining/moqueca-recipe.html |access-date=2024-04-27 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Traditional ingredients remain the same, with the dish typically garnished with chopped coriander, then served with rice and [[farofa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Moqueca Baiana {{!}} Traditional Stew From Bahia {{!}} TasteAtlas|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/moqueca-baiana|website=www.tasteatlas.com|access-date=2020-05-15}}</ref>

=== Espirito Santo ===
[[File:Moqueca capixaba 18 de janeiro de 2014 (2).JPG|thumb|A home-made moqueca from Espírito Santo in a clay pot.]]
'''''Moqueca capixaba''''' is native to the state of [[Espírito Santo]]. It is a combination of [[Amerindian|Brazilian]] and Portuguese cuisine. It is considered a softer and lighter version of moqueca. Lighter oils, such as extra-virgin [[olive oil]], are used instead of [[palm oil]] (as in the Bahian version).<ref name=":1" /> [[Annatto]] is typically an ingredient.<ref name=":2" /> Peppers are generally not included.<ref name=":1" />

[[Achiote|Urucum]] pigment is added, and it is always cooked in a traditional clay pan. ''Moqueca capixaba'' can be made with fish, shrimp, crabs, sea crabs or lobsters. 

== Preparation and serving ==
The full meal set includes banana da terra (plantain) stew as a side dish as well as pirão and white rice - each one in its own clay pan. The dish is usually seasoned with onion, tomatoes, coriander, and chives. It is usually accompanied by pirão,<ref name=":0">[http://www.vitoria.es.gov.br/cidade/comidas-tipicas#a_moquecacapixaba Comidas Típicas : A Cidade : Prefeitura de Vitória<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> which is the paste made with cassava root flour ("farinha de mandioca") and the gravy from the stew. 

Capixaba pans, especially ''panelas de barro'', are made with black [[clay]] and glazed with [[mangrove]] tree [[sap]]. After being shaped and fired, sap is re-applied. This blackens the clay and makes it water resistant. The pan must be seasoned with oil a couple of times before use.

These cassole pans are very important to [[Vitória, Brazil|Vitória]], and the city is home to a grassroots organization of pan-makers known as ''Associação das Paneleiras de Goiabeiras''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cookware from Goiabeiras, Vitória|url=https://www.capixabadagema.com.br/paneleiras-de-goiabeiras-vitoria/|last=|first=|date=14 August 2021|website=Capixaba da Gema|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref>

== Variations ==
Vegetarian versions, using plantains instead of seafood, are a common variation.<ref name=":2" />

The dish is also known in Angola; [[Angolan cuisine|Angolan]] moqueca is similar to the Bahian version and typically includes palm oil, coconut milk, and/or peppers.<ref name=":1" />

==In popular culture==
* Moqueca was featured on the [[List of original programs distributed by Netflix|Netflix TV series]], ''[[Street Food (TV series)|Street Food]]'' volume 2, which focused on Latin American street foods.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=John |title='Street Food: Latin America' Review: A Platter of Vicarious Delights |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/street-food-latin-america-review-a-platter-of-vicarious-delights-11594931655 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=16 July 2020 |publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc. |accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref>
* Moqueca was a dish on [[MasterChef Australia series 16|MasterChef Australia]] Episode 8. 
==See also==
* [[List of Brazilian dishes]]
* [[List of casserole dishes]]
* [[List of stews]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Brazilian stews]]
[[Category:Casserole dishes]]
[[Category:Tomato dishes]]
[[Category:Shrimp dishes]]
[[Category:Fish stews]]
[[Category:Angolan cuisine]]