Tucupi is a

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...

sauce extracted from wild

manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

root in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Amazon jungle The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

. It is also produced as a by-product of manioc flour manufacture. The juice is toxic when raw (containing

hydrocyanic acid Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an in ...

). Tucupi is prepared by peeling, grating, and juicing the manioc. Traditionally, a basket-like instrument called the was used. After being squeezed through the tipiti, the juice is left to "rest" so that the starch separates from the liquid (tucupi). Poisonous at this stage, tucupi must be boiled for 3 to 5 days to eliminate the poison. The tucupi can then be used as a sauce in cooking. It is seasoned with salt,

alfavaca ''Ocimum campechianum'' is a plant species in the family Lamiaceae, widespread across Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and Florida. Leaves of ''Ocimum campechianum'' are eaten in Brazil's Amazon jungle. Similar to basil, ...

and chicória.

Mythology

In legend, Jacy (The

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

) and Iassytatassú (The Morning Star) joined to visit the centre of the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. When they tried to cross the abyss, the serpent Tyiiba bit the face of Jacy. Jacy's tears fell on a

plantation. Since then the face of Jacy (The

) has been marked by the bites of the snake. From the tears of Jacy sprang tucupi.

Preparations

Tucupi is very common in the cuisine of Brazilians of the Amazon region.

Pato no tucupi ''Pato no tucupi'' (duck in tucupi sauce) is a traditional Brazilian dish found mostly in the area around the city of Belém in the state of Pará state. The dish consists of a boiled duck (pato in Portuguese) in tucupi. One of the more typica ...

("duck in tucupi") is a much appreciated dish: a duck which has been previously roasted, and then shredded, is brought to a boil in a sauce of tucupi and jambu (

Acmella oleracea ''Acmella oleracea'' is a species of flowering herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include toothache plant, Szechuan buttons, paracress, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. Its native distribution is unclear, but it is likely de ...

Tacacá Tacacá () is a typical dish of Northern Brazil (mostly consumed in Pará, Amazonas, Acre, Amapá and Roraima). It is made with ''jambu'' (a native variety of paracress), and ''tucupi'' (a broth made with wild manioc), cooked tapioca starch ...

is another specialty of Amazonian cuisine from the state of

Pará Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana ...

. Served in a bowl made from a

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the ear ...

, boiling tucupi is poured over manioc flour. A generous portion of jambu and

dried shrimp Dried shrimp are shrimp that have been sun-dried and shrunk to a thumbnail size. They are used in many East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisines, imparting a unique umami taste. A handful of shrimp is generally used for dishes. The fla ...

complete the dish. The acidic nature of tucupi accentuates the effects of jambu, which cause the lips and mouth to tingle or feel numbness.

References

{{Reflist *''This article incorporates material translated from the :pt:tucupi article in the

Portuguese language Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and ...

Wikipedia.'' Sauces Brazilian cuisine Cassava dishes

Mythology

Preparations

See also

References