What is Amala de Xango? Preparation, how to do it, what it’s for and more!

Amalah is one of several offerings offered to an orixá. Practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions prepare the delicacy to please the entity. In this case, the article will talk about Amala de Xangô.

Even regarding the orixá, Xangô is considered one of the most powerful entities in the Afro-Brazilian pantheon. He is the god of justice, lightning, thunder and fire. In religious syncretism he is syncretized with Saint Jerome. By the way, the day of Xangô is celebrated on September 30th.

The main representation of the entity is the double-edged axe. Here, called oxé. In addition, the tool precisely represents the justice that Xangô defends: impartial, which observes both sides before making a decision.

So find out below how to accurately perform the Amala de Xangô. It is worth mentioning that when the offering is made, the believer seeks justice and, moreover, pleases the orixá.

Understand what it is for, how to prepare it and also how to taste Amalá. Here, each function of each part of the offering will be addressed. So, you can do it correctly. Check out!

Xangô’s amalah is the main ritual offered to the saint. However, it is not made just for that entity. Deities, such as Iansã, also receive this type of offering. However, returning to the rite, the amalah is food made especially for the orixá.

Its composition is quite simple and has few materials. By the way, the delivery of the offering can be carried out in two places: at home or outdoors. If it is done at home, the best places to offer it are the backyard or service area. Already outdoors, waterfalls or quarries are the ideal places to perform the ritual.

As is already known, Xangô is the orixá that governs justice. With his axe, oxé, the deity observes the situation from all sides, before making a decision. The believer who wants to carry out the preparation of Amalah seeks to resolve issues of justice, requests for mercy, in addition to health issues, among others.

Above all, he also seeks to please the orixá. Therefore, when preparing Amalah, a prayer is made so that Xangô is always by his side in decision-making. As well as, also bless the life of those who make the offering.

The tasting of Amala de Xangô must be done with the hands. That’s right, cutlery should not be used when eating the offering. In addition, in many terreiros the tasting is done standing up. In fact, it is a time of great importance for those who consume the food.

It is recommended that when eating Amala de Xangô, whoever consumes it, do it with a pure heart. And also, have the desire for pure feelings in your hearts. It is an important part of successfully performing the ritual.

After all, according to the beliefs of Afro-Brazilian religions, the orixá will be present from the beginning of preparation until consumption.

In this section, learn all the steps on how to prepare Amala de Xangô. Also, learn about tips for performing this ritual with all the necessary dedication. Finally, understand how to make the offering in different ways, using two key ingredients: okra and oxtail. Don’t miss it!

First, one must define what Xirê is. Originating from the Yoruba language, the word means candomblé song. It is through these songs that each orixá is evoked in the terreiro, especially on feast days.

Therefore, the preparation of Amala de Xangô is different. It must start the day before for the mustard to go through the maceration process. Then, a son of Xangô must make the mush and the sauce, as well as continue with the entire Amalah ritual.

It is worth remembering that each Xirê is ritualized differently according to the religion, but the two beliefs have the same objective: to evoke the Orixás.

Amalah must be prepared with love, after all it is part of an extremely important ritual. It must go beyond requests, but it is a rite of worship to the Orisha. It’s time to give thanks for the blessings received.

Therefore, it is extremely recommended that a son of Xangô, when performing the preparation of Amalah, do it with a pure heart. After all, the Orisha is the god of justice and will know if the whole rite is done with bad intentions.

When finishing the Amalah, it is important to place the requests at the bottom of the trough and, thus, place the food on top. Finally, the offering must be placed in a very beautiful place.

Now, we will talk about the recipe to prepare Amala de Xangô with Okra. Check the ingredients list.

1 kg of okra;
2 large onions;
100 grams of dried shrimp;
Honey;
Palm oil.

First, you need to write requests or thanks on white paper. After that, it’s time to do the amalah. Separate about 8 okra to decorate the amalah.

In summary, large onions should be cut into fairly small pieces. Then they will be braised in palm oil. Which should cover the bottom of the pan. Then add the shrimp and okra, sautéing them until they release a lot of vegetable slime.

Here, the same steps as the above recipe are followed. Just add the oxtail.

500 grams of okra;
250 grams of white cornmeal;
1 onion;
Oxtail cut into 12 pieces;
1 glass of palm oil.

As in the more traditional recipe, the okra must be separated for decoration, but in this case there will be 12. The others must be cut into very thin slices. Then brown and sauté the onions, adding the oxtail right after. Let it cook well.

While the meat is cooking, it’s time to make the polenta. So, in another pan, put cold water and the cornmeal. Stir the ingredients until they acquire a creamy texture.

Depending on the origin, amalahs can have different recipes. In this topic, the differences between Bahian and Nigerian Amala will be clarified. Despite having the same root, the African culture, it is important to know how to prepare each type of offering. Check out!

It is the most used recipe here in Brazil. The main ingredient is okra. In addition, it may or may not contain beef, such as oxtail. The other fundamental items in the recipe are, for example, pepper, cornmeal.

Just like the traditional Bahian cuisine, the Bahian Amalá can have pepper. And here a large amount is used to feel at the time of consumption. Another item that cannot be missing are the various seasonings.

In this case, onion is commonly found in Amalá recipes known in Brazilian territory. And finally, a less common item is the addition of white acaçá. Even the amalah can be served together with yam pirão.

The Nigerian recipe has at least three versions of the same dish: Àmalà Isu, Àmalà Láfún and Àmalà Ogede. In the first, the base is yam flour. In the second, it is cassava flour, while in the last, the base ingredient is plantain.

Another factor that stands out is that amalah is not used in rituals. It is actually a part of Nigerian cuisine in everyday life. In addition, there is always some complement with some types of soups. In Nigerian vocabulary, one of the variations is ewedu.

Above all, something that can stand out is that rarely does Nigerian Amala have meat on the ingredient list.

Therefore, the biggest difference between the dishes is that Nigerian Amalah is a food that is appreciated in the daily lives of the natives of the country. In addition, it is a dish that gains variety thanks to the base ingredients, such as yam.

Bahian, on the other hand, is used practically exclusively for rituals for Xangô, the Orixá of justice. The base ingredient is also different. Here is a vegetable: okra. And it clearly has Bahian influences, like the addition of pepper.

So, it can be said that the biggest difference is precisely the base ingredient. Even though they have the same root, the African, the Nigerian and the Bahian Amala are very different.

Just as there are differences between the amalahs of different regions, there are distinctions between the amalahs of different orixás. In this topic, we highlight the rituals performed in Umbanda, an exclusively Brazilian religion. The doctrine even unites elements of various religions, including Catholicism and Kardecist spiritism. Check out!

According to Umbanda beliefs, Amalah is a ritual in which the believer uses certain elements to make requests to the Orixá for a specific cause. Incidentally, food is usually used to make the offering.

However, the Amalah ritual is quite simple. As already said, the person who performs the rite does so with the intention of asking for a certain cause. However, it is worth mentioning that it is also a moment of gratitude. One of Amala’s points is that when making the offering, it is important to choose an outdoor location. That is, waterfalls, quarries, beaches. Finally, contact with nature is recommended.

Considered as the Orisha of life, Oxalá is the father of all in the African pantheon. Including, the entity is known to wear the robes in white clothes and governs Fridays. The Amalá de Oxalá is quite simple. To perform the ritual it is necessary to use the following ingredients. 14 white candles, mineral water, white canjica, white crockery bowl and white flowers.

For the preparation, it is necessary to use a leaf of a plant such as palm tree. In it, the white hominy is placed inside the dishes of the same color. The best place to place the offering is outdoors. So a hill is a great place.

Ogun is the Orisha that governs work. He is best known for his religious syncretism: he is associated with Saint George. So much so that the day is celebrated on the same date: April 23. Its symbol is the sword and the day of the week is Tuesday.

Amala de Ogum is composed of fruits (sword mango is a recommended item), shrimp, fish and white beer. 14 candles are used, all white and red. Or seven red and seven white. It should also hold 7 cigars.

By the way, unloading should be done in a beautiful meadow. Just like Amala de Oxalá, the offering must be delivered on top of a leaf of a plant.

Known as the Queen of the Sea, Iemanjá is the most popular Orixá. Offerings to the entity are usually made mainly on New Year’s Day. The faithful usually play in the waters of the beaches, palms of different colors.

O…