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The state of Amazonas is part of the largest hydrographical basins of the
country and has more than two thousand species of fish. It is not surprising therefore, that the amazonic culinary valorizes so much the
fish. The taste for fish was also influenced by the habits of the indians and europeans immigrants.
The mojority of the dishes are served with "pirão", a type of manioc flour
paste which is cooked in the fish sauce or "Tucupi" which is a yellowish sauce made from the fermentation of the manioc juice. In Manaus, the
fish that are the appreciated are the Tucunaré, Pirarucu, which is all called sweet water codfish, and the "Calderada" (fish-stew) of
Tambaqui among others. The Pirarucu, a fish that reaches up to 2 meters in lenght, is one of the most tasty ones and has a white and tender
meat, completely different from the meat of the sea fish.
Since it is near the Amazonic forest, it gives the tourists the chance to try
some types of meat that they won't find in any other place. The so called "Cozinha da Selva" (Jungle Kitchen) includes dishes made from
cayman and wild animals, specially the meat of the peccary.
As in the north-east of Brazil, the northern region also has strong and very
characteristic seasoning. The bottled "tucupi" also causes a type of numbness in the mouth, while the guarana powder has the fame of being
aphrodisiac and energetic.
The typical fruit of the northern region are outstanding in desserts. They are
usuallyused as ingredients in juices and jams, some fruit can be eaten natural which is the case of the custard apple, but the visitor
shouldn't miss tasting the sweetmeats of açai, cupuaçu and buriti. In Manaus, there are also mango trees spread around the urban gardens and
it impossible to imagine anything more tropical than to try a juicy mango in the city which is the entrance to the jungle.
Know the pricipal dishes of the Amazonas cuisine:
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Calderada de Peixe: a type of fish stew. Tambaqui and Tucunaré
fish are usually used, cooked in water and seasoned with regional herbs. |
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Tucupi: a bitter yellow liquid. Serves as an ingredient for
various dishes and is made from the fermentation of the manioc juice. |
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Tacaca: an indian dish. It is a soup which has cooked manioc,
shrimp, jambu and tucupi, seasoned with pepper. |
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