This hearty stew is commonly enjoyed in São Tomé e Príncipe and Angola. Though it is typically prepared with fresh or dry fish and shrimps, when it goes under the name calulu de peixe, some versions can occasionally employ meat.

Additional ingredients include okra, onions, tomatoes, eggplants, and finely chopped greens such as sweet potato leaves or cassava leaves. Calulu is traditionally accompanied by rice or funje — a creamy cassava porridge.