accras

Accra is a word from the Kingdom of Dahomey (modern Benin) that means vegetable fritter.

The current recipe is said to have been invented in Guadaloupe by a woman from Normandy who was making beignets, but had no apples. Her Black neighbour offered her some salt cod (morue) to replace the apples; her Indian neighbour, afraid the fritters would be bland, contributed the scotch bonnet chili, spring onions, parsley and lime to create one of France’s best loved dishes, accras de morue (sometimes spelled acras).

Today they are very popular in the Antilles, Reunion and metropolitan (aka European) France, if not quite as spicy as you find elsewhere. You can also find accras de crevettes made with prawns.

In Martinique they are also known as marinades and often served as an appetizer with chiquetaille de harengs.