LAST CHEF:
Joceval Santos
Chef Joceval Santos from Brazil served up a heavenly feast for us.
Ajeum—a word from the Yoruba language that translates to “shared meal”—is one of the most important collective practices in Candomblé and reinforces the communal and spiritual dimensions of eating as a gesture of connection with the sacred and with nature.
Olubajé—the “Feast of the King”—is one of the most significant celebrations in the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé religion. This ritual takes place annually in honor of Obaluaê/Omolu—the Orisha of the earth, illness, and healing—and involves the communal consumption of traditional foods such as doburu (popcorn), which is typically served on leaves, as well as giving thanks for and praying for good health.
The Celestial Feast was a poetic practice inspired by the Olubajé ritual:
Following a ceremonial procession led by two Candomblé priests—the artist Ayrson Heráclito and the chef Joceval Santos—participants were invited to share a meal in harmony with one another and with nature, concluding with a purification ritual.
After the meal, the leftovers were offered to the forests and rivers as a token of gratitude—a symbolic gesture that highlighted the significant interdependence between humans and nature.
In the framework of Tongue and Throat Memories.