History and Culture
Bahia’s First Ice Cream Shop
The house has already become a tourist spot in the city
A Cubana Sorveteria. No Elevador Lacerda. Salvador Bahia. Foto: Amanda Oliveira.
The first ice cream shop in Bahia came in 1930, along with the reopening of the Lacerda Elevator, which was expanded and reopened that year. The A Cubana ice cream shop was named after it was founded by a Cuban living in Brazil. His family had an ice cream shop in the United States and, coming to Brazil, decided to open a store here.
“This is one of the reasons we have on the menu items like Sundae, Dusty Miller and Banana Split. All served in beautiful glasses, as they once were”, says Marcos Bouzas, one of the owners of the ice cream shop.
Marcos’s grandfather, the Spanish Jose Bouzas Migue, was the one who bought the ice cream shop in 1942. The family has been taking care of the business since then and have opened other units in the city. The shop in Praça Tomé de Souza has one of the most iconic views of the first capital of Brazil, and has become a captive place in visitors’ and residents’ itinerary. Great place to understand a little about these two cities: Upper City and Lower City.
A Cubana Ice Cream is that oasis for us to enjoy time, whether with some ice cream scoops or a piece of pie, a dessert or a savory accompanied by a coffee. Whatever your gastronomic desire is, it will only add more flavor to the pleasure of enjoying that stunning view, looking out over the great sea of All Saints Bay.
No one passes unaffected by the small kiosk just outside the world’s first urban elevator. The classic Maltado – ice cream mixed with iced milk and milk powder – is so famous that it has been nicknamed.
“There are people who call it Frappe and even Coco Sparkling” says Raimundo do Santos, who has been working at the place for 29 years and loves to tell the stories of this irresistible creamy shake.
Another darling of the place is Dusty Miller, made with two scoops of ice cream, two syrups, milk powder and cookie. Another delight is the Cubana cupcake, which is 89 years old and is made with an authentic and soft white cake from a secret house recipe, icing of cocoa powder syrup and chopped nuts on top. Irresistible! Choose your favorite and delight yourself while looking at the view: from above, you can see some sights such as Forte São Marcelo and Mercado Modelo among others.
In the unit that is inside Pelourinho, in Portas do Carmo Street, the tip is to taste the pitanga or mangaba ice cream (typical fruit from the northeast), so you get a good and different memory in each place. Those who visits this shop, always find a way to make that photo of the cone with the Church of the Rosary of the Black People in the background. Classical! Prepare the phone and guarantee yours.
Like everything that is traditional, A Cubana Ice Cream values the quality of the products offered, always very fresh and rich in flavor. With so many tips, it will be difficult to choose the order. Go for it!
Service
A Cubana Ice Cream
@acubanasorvertes / http://www.acubana.com.br/
Lacerda Elevator. Address: Tomé de Souza Square, no number – Center, Salvador – BA, 40020-000. Phone #: (71) 3322-7000. Opening hours: every day from 8am to 10pm.
Pelourinho. Address: 12 Portas do Carmo Street – Pelourinho, Salvador – BA, 40026-290. Phone #: (71) 3321-6162. Opening hours: everyday from 9:30 am to 11 pm.
Pituba. Address: 2269 Pernambuco Street – Pituba, Salvador – BA, 41830-390. Phone #: (71) 3013-0304. Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 9am to 9:30 pm. Friday and Saturday from 9am to 10pm. Sunday from 11am to 10pm.
Rio Vermelho. Vila Caramuru, 43 – Rio Vermelho, Salvador – BA. Phone #: (71) 3486-7199. Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 12pm to 10pm. Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 1:00 am.
