A doçaria tradicional das baianas de acarajé e os redesenhos dos doces de tabuleiros

This study aims to reveal Bahia’s confectionery as an Afro-Brazilian cultural expression, with historical roots in the eighteenth century and remaining in contemporary times. Using a qualitative and exploratory approach, searches were made in bibliographic material, visits to libraries and historical archives, as well as interviews with 23 baianas of acarajé in Salvador and the Recôncavo Baiano. The analysis of the material is based on the content analysis of Laurence Bardin and the cartography of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, in dialogue with postcolonial and decolonial theories. The research highlights the cultural and historical importance of confectionery, recognized as part of the Craft of the baianas, an intangible heritage of Brazil since 2004, and examines how these women maintain and adapt their culinary traditions as forms of cultural resistance. Through personal narratives, the memories of the baianas and historical documentation, the study reveals the dynamics of power, resistance and adaptation involved in the practice of confectionery. This work contributes to cultural and gastronomic studies by highlighting Bahia’s confectionery as a living and dynamic heritage, essential for the preservation of Afro-Brazilian identity and history.