The fun started when José, also known as Meu Lindo, was challenged by a customer with seafood allergies to make an acarajé cake without any seafood. The vendor, who enjoys a challenge, then invented the acarasol, using sun-dried meat – and a portal opened for him to create the acaralagosta and acarasiri, which are super different fillings that he developed while keeping the traditional bases such as pepper, palm oil, and coconut milk. Self-taught and passionate about cooking, he worked in kitchens in the United States until he returned to his homeland and opened Budega do Meu Lindo in a trailer set up in a friend’s backyard. The success was huge, and he is now located on the street, right in the bustling heart of Porto de Galinhas. “My trailer is the Broadway of the avenue, it’s bright, and I was truly inspired by New York,” he says. There, the acarasol is his flagship dish. In his restless home kitchen, he never stops experimenting with new fillings and cakes. “But let’s take it slow,” he says, afraid of disturbing the Baianos too much, who are the “owners” of this delicacy.