Legend has it that the sururu broth, a very popular mussel dish on the Northeastern coast, is an aphrodisiac. Whether it’s true or not, an anonymous taxi driver from Salvador can attest to it. “He came to the stall asking if it really worked. I told him that it did for me. Later, he came back to thank me, said I saved his marriage,” says Paulo, also known as Gagau. He had the idea of selling the broth on the street after preparing it at home for himself and his wife at the beginning of their relationship. On that same day, excited about the results, they had the idea of selling it on the street. Gradually, Gagau, who learned to cook at the age of 9 – the eldest of eight siblings, cooked for the whole family since his mother worked outside -, enhanced the recipe. In addition to palm oil and grated coconut, he adds a good dose of energy powder bought at the São Joaquim market, the largest and most popular in the city: it contains ginseng, catuaba, marapuana, and guarana powder. “It gives fantastic energy,” he guarantees. Hence the nickname “Pega Legal” (Catch Legal) given by a customer. To thicken the broth, he uses carimã, also known as “puba,” fermented cassava flour. And he doesn’t give up the dried shrimp from the neighboring Itaparica Island: “No dye, no tasteless. It seems to melt in your mouth. It’s the finishing touch.”