Matias Romani is Argentine, 37 years old, and came to Brazil in 2004 to initially travel for a while. The trip was supposed to last only a year, and his initial idea was to study percussion. Matias, who was already a drummer, saw in Bahia’s rich rhythms a destination to deepen his percussion movements and fell in love with Candomblé’s rhythms. He studied in the music technician course at Associação Pracatum and became increasingly enchanted by the capital of Bahia. Ten years passed, and during this time, he worked as a masseur and took a yoga instructor course. However, it was during a trip to Morro de São Paulo that he met a friend who introduced him to the world of empanadas. He had always been connected to the kitchen and cherished memories of his grandmother’s food as the best he had ever tasted. So, he started helping his friend prepare the classic beef and chicken empanadas. Due to his affinity with vegetarianism, they began making vegan empanadas without animal ingredients. Eventually, his friend returned to Argentina, and Matias continued with the business, naming it “Bhakti,” which means devotion, devotional. All products are 100% homemade, and the dough is made with 25% white wheat flour and 75% whole wheat flour, and the butter is replaced by sunflower or corn oil. The empanadas are named after the deities Ganesha, Lakshmi, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, “I had to give them names, and just using the fillings’ names was a bit dull,” says Matias. “I named them Ganesha for opening the way and providing protection too, just like Exu in Candomblé. Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, Brahma, which is eggplant with sunflower seed, symbolizes the creator. Then, Vishnu, who maintains the earth and the universe, and Shiva, which is made of plantain, grated coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon. And Om, which represents the sound permeating all creation.” For him, “The essence is from my land, the change was what happened in my life, the philosophy of animal-free foods.” The empanadas are sold at Jam no MAM every Saturday; every 15 days at the samba event called “Samba Botequim” in Santo Antonio Além do Carmo – Downtown Salvador; every last Friday of the month in the same place for another samba event; at other events in the city; and he also takes orders and provides frozen empanadas to restaurants, events, and homes.