Where does Xerém come from?

Xerém — country of origin: Cape Verde.

How do you pronounce Xerém?

Xerém (kea) is pronounced /ʃeˈɾẽ/.

Xerém

Pronunciation (IPA) /ʃeˈɾẽ/

A Cabo Verdean ground-maize porridge served alongside fish or meat.

Allergens & declarations

The classic recipe carries none of the 14 EU allergens.

This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.

In detail

What it really is

A Cabo Verdean ground-maize porridge served alongside fish or meat.

Coarsely ground maize is cooked slowly with water until the grains soften and the mixture thickens. A softer version is spoonable like porridge; a firmer one can be portioned beside the main dish. Some cooks enrich it with fat or coconut, but those additions are not implied by the plain grain preparation. Xerém is a staple accompaniment, not a filled or baked corn cake. Fish, meat or stew may be served with it, with the side dishes providing sauce and protein. Menus should distinguish plain xerém from an enriched version.

Xerém is a soft, textured preparation made by slowly cooking coarsely ground maize. It is commonly served as an accompaniment to fish and meat dishes; enrichments differ by recipe.

How it's served

Serve warm in a bowl when soft, or portion beside fish, meat or stew when cooked firmer.

Describe whether the version is plain or enriched with fat or other ingredients.

Typical ingredients

Menuella Taste: taste the world with friends

Menuella Taste

Your food passport. Mark every dish you have tried, collect a stamp for each country and share it with friends.

Mark it as tasted in Menuella Taste

Frequently asked questions

What is Xerém?: A Cabo Verdean ground-maize porridge served alongside fish or meat.
Where does Xerém come from?: Xerém — country of origin: Cape Verde.
What is Xerém made of?: Cornmeal, water, salt.
Which allergens does Xerém contain?: The classic recipe carries none of the 14 EU allergens.
How do you pronounce Xerém?: Xerém (kea) is pronounced /ʃeˈɾẽ/.