This paper examines the craft of baianas de acarajé and tacacazeiras in the context of Iphan's heritage and safeguarding process. Focusing on the production and consumption of acarajé and tacacá and using the concept of "culinary systems", the authors show that different conceptions of "heritage" circulate among these professionals, their clients and state agents, which has often lead to conflicts about the uses of urban space by these professionals. The ethnographic descriptions presented reveal how these specifics forms of foods occupy a central role in the formation of social and cosmological ties as well as of individual and collective subjectivities. The aim of the authors is to focus on the multiple representations and appropriations that are made of acarajé and tacacá when these foods may appear as "typical", "street food" or "holy food" in the processes of differentiation and formation of social belonging.
food; heritage; urban sociability; work