In addition to its beautiful landscapes, this region of Peru is famous for its cuisine marked by the diversity of its ingredients. Learn about its signature dishes and where to eat in its capital, Pucallpa.
The exotic cuisine of the Amazon is one of Pucallpa's attractions, as demonstrated in this exquisite and succulent article. The appearance of a well-served dish, then, awakens the spoons and forks. Below, we present the most characteristic dishes of the region:
Patarashca
Native cuisine made with Amazonian fish, prepared with ingredients native to the region, wrapped in a bijao leaf and grilled over charcoal. It is prepared simply, using hualo (giant frog) cooked inside a bamboo cane like a tube. It is also made with small fish and shrimp from the streams.
Inchicapi
This is a delicious soup whose secret is to prepare it primarily with farm-raised chicken cooked with ground or blended peanuts, corn, cassava, cilantro, garlic, salt, and cumin.
Juane
This is a traditional main dish of the San Juan festival throughout the Peruvian jungle region. The first juane soups were made with mushrooms, cassava, wild bird eggs, and fish. With the arrival of the Spanish, products and condiments brought by the colonizers were added. Very pleasant in flavor, it is shaped like a large tamale, prepared with rice, chicken, and eggs, and wrapped in a leaf called bijao.
Paiche Picadillo
Dried and salted paiche shredded with onion, tomato, and chili.
Tacacho with Cecina
This is a traditional dish originating in the Peruvian jungle and spread throughout the rest of the country. The term derives from the Quechua "taka chu," which means "beaten." It is a preparation made from fried or roasted and mashed green plantain mixed with pork fat. It is usually served with cecina, dried and smoked pork, or with regional chorizo, a sausage made from the small intestine of a pig and filled with ground beef.
Timbuche
A type of broth that is simple and inexpensive to prepare and can be used with fish such as boquichico, pomfret, mullet, and sea bass, among others. It is a soup made with fresh fish, beaten eggs, and cilantro, also known as the "raise the dead" dish for its restorative properties after exhausting festive days.
Chonta Salad
The heart of palm, or chonta, is a food product obtained from the bud of several species of beautiful palm trees highly sought after for their delicious heart, particularly the coconut palm, jusará palm, açaí palm, and peach palm.
Typical Traditional Drinks
– Masato: A drink made from cooked and fermented cassava.
– Aguajina: A blended, strained, and sweetened aguaje (a regional fruit).
– Chapo: A cooked and blended ripe plantain served cold.
Knowing is appreciating
Ucayali cuisine stands out for the originality of its dishes, their variety, and their unique ingredients. Thousands of people visit this region to experience its natural landscapes, its folklore, and the warmth of its people, but they also fall in love with its food.
The region also offers numerous natural beverages to accompany these delicious dishes and some exotic ancestral drinks that will bring out a different side of you. If you plan to travel to Peru soon, experience and learn new things like those offered by Ucayali and its beautiful capital, "The Red Land."
Where to eat?
These are some restaurants you should visit if you're in Ucayali:
Al palo y a la parrilla (Alfonso Ugarte 374, Pucallpa 25004)
El Tuyuyo (Jr. 3 de Octubre 493, Pucallpa 25004)
La Choza de la Anaconda (MC2H+6CG, Malecón Puerto Callao, Pucallpa 25004)
La Plaza Bar & Grill (Jr. Sucre 162, Pucallpa 25001)
La rueda (Alfonso Ugarte 490, Pucallpa 25004) "El Comercio Newspaper. All rights reserved."
