The cuisine of the north draws heavily on its Indian heritage. One of the best-known dishes is pato no tucupí, duck marinated in lemon juice, oil and garlic, then roasted, and finally boiled in tucupí, a sauce made with the liquid extracted from grated manioc tubers and seasoned with jambú leaves and chicory. Jambú is an intriguing jungle plant whose leaves and stem produce a very faint numbing sensation in the lips and tongue. This herb is also an important component of a flavorful seasoned soup called tacacá, which contains dried shrimp and tapioca topped with tucupí sauce. It is traditionally served in bowls fashioned out of gourds, or cuias. The classic dish maniçoba is a stew containing various dried, smoked and fresh meats, along with giblets. It is flavored with ground manioc leaves, or maniva, which also color the stew a dark green.
The more common plates are:
- Açaí: soup-like dessert made from the Açaí fruit
- Maniçoba: stew with pork and meat in a gravy made from manioc leaves (looks strange but tastes delicious)
- Pato no Tucupí: duck with jambú (vegetable) cooked in tucupí (delicious)
- Tacacá: soup with tucupí, dried shrimps and jambú (also delicious)
- Sorvetes (ice creams): made with regional fruits like Açaí, Cupuaçú, Taperebá, Bacurí, etc. Best ice cream maker is Sorveteria Cairú (they have several stores in Belém).
