FOOD AND DRINK OF THE

AMAZON REGION
 IQUITOS - PERU

There is a wide offer of different

regional dishes in the cities and towns
on the banks of the Amazon River. In
Iquitos, the main city of the region,
offers an acceptable service and a
variety of dishes sophisticated enough
to satisfy the most refined of tastes.
 If you feel like trying new flavors, why
not sample some of the local fresh water
fish, such as "paiche" and "dorado" or
vegetables such as "palmito", all of which
are unique to this region of Peru.

The most important dishes in

our region are:
 Juane: A kind of "tamal" filled with rice, minced
chicken and pork, chonta, yucca and wrapped in "bijao"
leaves, a special plant of the jungle, is one of the
region's leading dishes. It is especially prepared on the
"Dia de San Juan" (Saint John's Day), June 24th.
 Inchicapi: Another traditional Iquitos dish, blends
the flavors of peanuts, yucca, corn flour, "sihuca" and
squash with chicken.

Tacacho with
cecina: Roasted and
fried banana and mashed in
lard and dried meat.
 Patarashca: Fish is wrapped in banana leaves
and roasted to the fire.

Chonta Salad or palmito: Stem of the

palm denominated pona.
 Cecina: Dried and salted pork of an
exquisite flavour.
 A refreshing soft drink is prepared with
"aguaje", a native regional fruit. Alcoholic
beverages are masato, the juice of mashed
yucca left to ferment, or have a shot of Siete
Raices "Seven Roots", a well-known concoction
capable of giving anyone a good jolt!
 Masato: Drink of boiled and mashed yucca fermented
with sweet potato or sugar.
Photograph of an
ashninka woman
of the Coriteni
Tarzo fellowship
(province of
Satipo, Junn), in
the preparation of
the traditional
masato.
 Aguaje: Fruit of the aguaje palm, on sale year
round. Resembles a small brown pine cone, is soaked
in water and peeled to reveal the yellow flesh
around a large seed. The soft drink is known as
Aguajina.
Eatable fruit, it differentiates

3 kind of aguajes : shambo

(meaty and greasy pulp of red-
orange color), blue shambo
(when fruit acquires a blue
coloration by soaking in hot
water) and killo aguaje
(bittersweet pulp of yellow
color ).

Aguaje Palm
In the Amazon exists
more of 3 millions of
hectares of aguajales
 Camu Camu: Exclusive to the jungle.
Full of vitamins (one camu camu supposedly
contains the Vitamin C of 40 oranges).
Looks like a small plum. Extensively used for
medicines, perfumes, liquors and soft drink.
 Cocona: Round, plum sized citrus fruit.
Red and yellow skin with yellow flesh. Grows
in bush form.