''Cabidela'' () or ''arroz de cabidela'' (''cabidela'' rice) is a Portuguese dish made with

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, a ...

, usually a hen (chicken). It is typical of the northern Minho region. The particularity of the dish is that the hen's blood is added almost at the end, mixed with vinegar (so it doesn't clot) while the rice is boiling, much like "jugged" or "civet" dishes. The blood is captured when the animal is slaughtered and imparts a brown color to the dish. Occasionally, white rice can be served with the dish, although this is not common. Cooking with blood is an antique custom common to several ancient cultures; in Portugal, Cabidela has been found in written record since the 16th century and may equally be prepared with other fowl or animals (duck, turkey, pork, kid or game), though these are rare.

Variants

Variations on the dish is also popular in many of Portugal's former colonies, such as

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

, where a similar dish made with duck (''pato de cabidela'' or ''pato à cabidela'') is one of the most famous dishes in

Macanese cuisine Macanese cuisine ( zh, 澳門土生葡菜, pt, culinária macaense) is mainly influenced by Chinese cuisine, especially Cantonese cuisine and European cuisine, especially Portuguese cuisine and influences from Southeast Asia and the Lusophone wor ...

. In

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, this dish is normally made with chicken (''galinha à cabidela'' or ''galinha de cabidela''), and is considered a typical dish of the city of

Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...

. The rice is cooked separately. It is also a very common dish in the state of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

, where it has the name ''galinha ao molho pardo''. It's also common to cook only the chicken's blood, with vinegar and vegetables, until it becomes a sauce that can be added to rice or to the cooked chicken itself. In

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

cabidela is popular among the Goan Catholic community of

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

. The chicken version is one of the most common dishes served on special occasions while it is also found in restaurants in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

References

{{Macanese cuisine Portuguese cuisine Macanese cuisine Blood dishes Chicken dishes Rabbit dishes