- The 5 dishes of the gastronomy of the Amazon in Peru
- 1- Patarashca
- 2- Juane
- 3- Spicy snail
- 4- Chonta salad
- 5- Paiche
- References
The typical dishes of the Amazonas department in Peru are simple to prepare. Its base is bananas, yucca and river fish such as paiche, tarpon, catfish, palometa and even piranhas.
Snails, chicken meat, beef, mutton, guinea pig and palm hearts (obtained from the palm or coconut tree) are also used.
Patarashca
In the Amazon rainforest there is a huge variety of fruits such as papayas, passion fruit, passion fruit, paw paw, cherimoya, mangoes. All of them are part of the diet of the population.
Among the most ingested drinks we can name the guarapo, a sweet fermented cane drink, and the cuchuhuasi, a brandy widely consumed in eastern Peru.
Other drinks are blackberry liqueur, milk liqueur and pur pur, which is a brandy made from syrup and the seeds and the fruit of pur pur (rare fruit of the Amazon rainforest).
The 5 dishes of the gastronomy of the Amazon in Peru
1- Patarashca
It is a traditional food that is found daily on the table of the Amazonians. It is a fresh fish dish of any kind.
The fish are cleaned, cut crosswise and placed on a banana leaf. Then they are seasoned with salt, garlic, onion, pepper, tomato and chili peppers.
They are covered with another banana leaf as to make a tamale and held with a wick. They are then cooked in the oven or grill. It is served with charcoal-grilled green plantains or salad of cocona, a tropical fruit.
2- Juane
This dish is specially prepared on the feast of San Juan. The main ingredient is chicken, cut into pieces. These are fried and rice is prepared separately.
In the oil where the chicken was fried, eggs and rice are placed. Then the banana leaves are softened with heat and the rice preparation is wrapped with a piece of chicken in the middle. It is tied well and boiled, taking care that no water enters the preparation.
It is accompanied by fried banana, cassava root and hot peppers.
3- Spicy snail
It is made with a snail called churo. It is especially large and native to the jungle. It is prepared with sweet and spicy chili, tomatoes, garlic, onions, saffron and thickened with yellow or white potatoes. It is accompanied by rice and bananas.
4- Chonta salad
The chonta or palmito, is obtained from the coconut tree, the jusará, the açaí and the pejibayo. It is eaten raw, chopped and seasoned. It can be mixed with other fresh ingredients.
5- Paiche
The paiche is a fish from the Amazon that can measure more than 2 meters. It is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
In addition, it is one of the oldest species, since it has not evolved much since the Miocene period, 5 million years ago.
This fish has the peculiarity that it can come out of the water and breathe using organs similar to the lungs. It is used in a wide variety of dishes. It is roasted, roasted, roasted, or steamed.
It is used to make Amazonian-style ceviche, in salads or accompanied with fried plantains, yucca, rice or beans. The picadillo de paiche is also prepared, dry and sautéed with onions, tomato and peppers.
References
- Editor (2017) Gastronomy Department of Amazonas. 11/22/2017. In Peru. www.enperu.org
- Staff Writer (2017) Peru Food. Amazon. 11/22/2017. Discover Peru. www.discover-peru.org
- Surprising Amazonian foods from Peru that will delight you. 11/22/2017 www.authenticfoodrequest.com
- 17 weird foods for adventorious eaters to try. (2017). 11/22/2017. www. newperuvian.com
- Inchicapi. 11/22/2017. www.peruvianfood.com