Tacacá
An Amazon soup that numbs your mouth
Think of it as: Like hot-and-sour soup with a Sichuan-pepper buzz
Your lips are going numb. That's normal.
What does it taste like?
Sour, deeply savory broth, then a fizzy, numbing tingle from the jambu.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureGooey and tingly
What is it?
A hot soup of tucupí — a yellow broth made from wild cassava — with gummy tapioca, dried shrimp and jambu, a leaf that makes your mouth tingle and go numb. It's an afternoon street-food ritual in Belém, in the Amazon.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Bought from street stalls in the late afternoon and sipped straight from a gourd bowl (cuia), piping hot.
Watch it
EnglishTap to play (YouTube)Where is it from?
🇧🇷Brazil
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From Tokyoabout 17,680 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Brasília
Getting thereabout 24 hours from Tokyo (with transfers)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeIt's in the Southern Hemisphere; for Rio, the pleasant months of April to June or September to November are best. Also tryChurrascoPão de queijoCoxinha More from here🫘 Feijoada🍚 Arroz com pequi
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeIt's in the Southern Hemisphere; for Rio, the pleasant months of April to June or September to November are best. Also tryChurrascoPão de queijoCoxinha More from here🫘 Feijoada🍚 Arroz com pequi
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Anthem"Brazilian National Anthem" (Hino Nacional Brasileiro)
MusicBossa nova Stylish music of whispery vocals and guitar
SportSoccer
Pelé (soccer; the king who won the World Cup three times) World HeritageIguaçu National Park and more National flowerIpê FestivalRio Carnival (February-March)
MusicBossa nova Stylish music of whispery vocals and guitar
SportSoccer
Pelé (soccer; the king who won the World Cup three times) World HeritageIguaçu National Park and more National flowerIpê FestivalRio Carnival (February-March)
Ingredients
- Tucupí (cassava broth) 1 L
- Tapioca starch 4 tbsp
- Dried shrimp 50 g
- Jambu leaves 1 bunch
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Chili, a little
- Salt, a pinch
Can't find it? Sichuan pepper leaves or a pinch of Sichuan pepper give a similar tingle.
How to make it (one way)
- Simmer the tucupí with garlic and salt for a long time
- Cook tapioca starch with water into a thick, clear goo (goma)
- Blanch the jambu leaves
- Put the goma in a gourd bowl and pour over the hot tucupí
- Top with dried shrimp and jambu, with chili on the side
⚠️ Tucupí is made from wild cassava juice that is poisonous raw and needs hours of boiling — don't try to make it from scratch.