Cuisine of Pará

Pará cuisine refers to the traditional cuisine native to Pará, Brazil. Foods from this region primarily draw influence from Indian, African, and Portuguese cultures. The core ingredients are sourced from the Amazon jungle, and may include meats such as shrimp, crab, seafood, fish, poultry, bush meat, and duck. These meats are traditionally cooked with leaves (such as maniva, chicory, and coriander), peppers, and herbs. Dishes are cooked in clay pots or barbecued wrapped in leaves and roasted soaked in tucupi, a yellow sauce extracted from wild manioc root native to the Amazon. Dishes may be served in bowls, in containers of clay, wrapped in banana leaves, or in vegetable fiber sifters called urupemas.

Cassava flour is an essential ingredient in Pará cuisine. The most used cassava flour is manioc flour. Cassava is needed for tucupi, another essential ingredient in local cuisine. It is a yellow sauce extracted from cassava which is either accompanied by meat, fish, or seafood, or eaten by itself with or without jambu. Initially, cassava and its derivatives were only consumed by the poor and Indian people, but over time it has become a staple for all of Pará's families.

Tapioquinha is a dish made from cassava flour. They can be a pancake and can take several types of fillings like chocolate, various types of cheese, or jelly. The most common way of eating tapioquinha is with butter or coconut only. Tapioquinha is often consumed as breakfast or afternoon snack, usually accompanied by coffee with milk. It can be found in simple establishments, strollers, and snack bars.

Duck in tucupi, Also known as Pato no tucupi, this dish is made from duck meat, tucupi and Acmella oleracea, known in Brazil as jambu. The herb is found in the Northern region of Brazil. The tucupi is a yellow broth extracted from cassava and needs to be stewed for a week. After being baked, the duck is cut into pieces and stewed in tucupi where it soaks for some time. Then, the jambu is boiled in water with salt, drained and put on the duck. It is served with rice and cassava flour.