Small scale market survey on the preparation and physico-chemical characterstics of moin-moin: a traditional ready-to-eat cowpea food from Brazil

Abstract Preparation practices and physicochemical characteristics of moin-moin commercialized in Salvador (Brazil) as a street food by typically clothed women called baianas de acarajé were studied. Four moin-moin samples were collected from each of the thirty sales points included in the study and analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, ash, carbohydrates, fiber, total carotenoids, weight, color and texture. The ingredients used for the preparation of moin-moin were as follows: grated dry shrimp heads (100.0%), grated onions (96.7%), salt (73.3%), Crude Palm Oil (53.3%) or Crude Palm Olein (46.7%) and garlic (16.7%). Peanut, codfish, cashew nuts, wheat flour, ginger and tomatoes are further ingredients frequently used. Texture analysis revealed that moin-moin is a soft, fragile and brittle food product. The content of total carotenoids ranged from 6.99 to 64.88 ppm with an average value of 28.49 ± 4.00 ppm, giving the product an ocher-orange/yellow-orange color. An average sized moin-moin ball (186.6 g) contained 14.08% protein, 13.08% lipids, 30.83% carbohydrates, 4.01% fiber and 297.42 kcal, corresponding to 18.77%, 23.78%, 10.28% and 14.87% of the daily requirements of an adult for protein, lipids, carbohydrates and energy, respectively.