West Africa · Street food
Pastéis de Bissau (Fried Spiced Fish Turnovers)
Crispy, golden pastry pockets stuffed with a fiery, herb-packed filling of flaked ocean fish, alliums, and malagueta pepper.
The story
Found on bustling street corners in Bissau Velha and served at festive family gatherings across Guinea-Bissau, Pastéis de Bissau are the quintessential national afternoon snack. Coastal fishermen land fresh corvina, bica, or mackerel daily, which cooks poach with aromatics before intensely seasoning with fresh lime juice, parsley, and finely minced malagueta chilis. Unlike Latin American empanadas, the dough for these turnovers incorporates boiling water and melted fat, yielding an ultra-thin, blistered, and crunchy shell when dropped into hot oil. They are almost universally paired with a spoonful of fiery pimentão sauce.
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