In Tarapoto one can enjoy the most varied food typical of the jungle region. The area is famous for
juane, made with rice, egg, olive and chicken, all wrapped up in leaves of
bijao. Cured pork products are also common, most notably
cecina and
chorizo sausage. Tarapoto is considered the gastronomic capital of the Peruvian Amazon, its enormous variety of typical dishes is the result of the intense miscegenation between the native indigenous cultures of the Amazon, European immigration, Japanese and Chinese immigration (the latter brought rice at the end of the century XIX and at the beginning of the XX century, intensifying its cultivation in the agricultural zone of the city), for which Tarapoto is the cradle of the Amazon gastronomy of Peru for being much older than the cities of Iquitos and Pucallpa, in the city you can enjoy the most varied typical foods of the jungle. Its shrimps are famous, those that are enjoyed in the ninajuanes; the well-known juane, made from rice, eggs, olives and chicken meat, wrapped in bijao leaves, as well as the exquisite chorizo and cecina that have been industrialized and are currently exported to large supermarkets throughout the country. In the province of San Martín, especially Tarapoto and in almost the entire Peruvian jungle, there is a wide variety of typical dishes and drinks, which enjoy great national and international prestige, due to the proper preparation, the enormous variety of fruits of pleasant flavors, the ingredients used and because of their exotic nature. Traditional food: •
Juane: It is a traditional dish at the San Juan festivities. It has the shape of a large tamale, prepared with rice, chicken and eggs; which is wrapped in a leaf called bijao. •
Ninajuane: It is a dish similar to the previous one in its presentation but it is prepared based on beaten eggs with chicken meat and wrapped in a banana leaf. Both are traditionally cooked in the so-called "tushpas", which are typical charcoal or firewood stoves. •
Tacacho with cecina: The tacacho is the fried and mashed banana that is mixed with pork butter, it is usually served accompanied by cecina, which is dried and smoked pork meat; or regional chorizo, which is a sausage prepared with the small intestines of the pig and stuffed with ground meat, but well seasoned. •
Inchicapi: It is a soup prepared with ground or liquefied peanuts, farm chicken, yucca, corn, coriander leaves, garlic, salt and cumin. •
Patarashca: It is a typical food of the jungle, which descends from the ancient settlers. This meal includes any type of fish from the area, wrapped in a banana leaf or from the plant called bijao, and is prepared roasted, baked or parboiled, of course with condiments. •
Timbuche: It is a soup of fresh fish, beaten eggs and cilantro, which is also known as the “raise dead” dish, due to the restorative properties it has after exhausting festive days. •
Meats from the mountains: The San Martin resident also feeds on animal meats that many hunters or "mountains" capture when they go to "mountain" (hunt in the jungle). Among these animals we have: deer, huangana, peccary, tapir or sachavaca, armadillo or carachupa, picuro or majaz, añuje, etc. Which are prepared in various ways, roasted, parboiled, in soups, fried, etc. •
Rumo-Api and Sara-Api: They are soups prepared with the previously mentioned bushmeat (wild animals), accompanied with ground cassava and ground corn, respectively. •
Masato: prepared drink made up of cassava, formerly it was chewed and allowed to ferment for approximately 8 days, this custom still persists in the native ethnic groups, currently it is prepared by blending it and adding yeast for fermentation, facilitating its consumption. •
Chicha de Maíz: a drink produced by the fermentation of corn, mixed with figs and leaves from the area, in ancient times, the fermentation of this drink was used as a liquor. •
Poroto Shirumbe: Typical food made with pork or pork legs, yucca and tarapotino beans or huasca beans91 (Phaseolus vulgaris). •
Aguajina: soft drink made from the pulp of the aguaje. •
Cocona: soft drink made from the fruit of the cocona. •
Chapo: soft drink made from ripe bananas In addition to liquors and exotic drinks typical of the Tarapotina culture: Rompecalzón (RC) (Pantybreaker ) Indanachado Siete Raíces (seven roots) 21 raices (21 roots) Uvachado Chuchuhuasi Huitochado Para para Siete Veces Sin Sacar (Seven Times Without Drawing) Levántate Lázaro (Arise Lazarus) Cerezachado y Acerola (Cherry and Acerola) Surichado Licor de Café (Coffee liquor) Licor de Aguaje (Aguaje Liqueur) Licor de Camu Camu (Camu Camu liqueur) Licor de Uva regional (Regional Grape Liqueur) Guarapo Licor de menta (Mint liquor) Macerados (macerated) ==Nearby tourist attractions==