Ingredients
To buy
- bottled tucupi, from Brazilian and Amazonian suppliers
To season it
- 4 clovesgarlic
- chicory do Pará, chicória
- alfavaca or basil
- salt
- 1hot pepper
Traditionally made from
- bitter manioc, mandioca brava, grated and pressed
- which must never be used raw
To use in
- tacacá
- pato no tucupi
- tambaqui no tucupi
Directions
- Boil it uncovered so vapour escapes rather than condensing back in. Never use it straight from the bottle without heating.
- Bring the tucupi to a boil with crushed garlic, chicória do Pará and alfavaca.
- Add a whole hot pepper and salt.
- Simmer it, uncovered, for an hour.
- Taste it and season it properly. It should be sour, garlicky, herbal and faintly bitter, with a distinct acidity that is unlike anything else.
- Keep bottled tucupi refrigerated once opened, and boil it again before each use. It keeps a few weeks refrigerated and it can be frozen.
- Discard it if it smells rotten or has developed anything unusual, and be conservative about it.
Technique
- Bitter manioc is genuinely toxic raw and the process is what makes it safe.
- Bottled tucupi is produced in Pará and is what cooks use.
- The same root also yields tapioca starch and farinha.
Substitutions
- There is no substitute for tucupi in the dishes that use it.
- Bottled tucupi from a Brazilian supplier.
Variations
- Tucupi preto, reduced to a thick dark syrup, used in the northwest Amazon.
- Seasoned with more chicória, as in Belém.
- Used as the base for pato no tucupi.
History
An Indigenous Amazonian preparation: the raw juice contains cyanide, driven off by long boiling, and is sold bottled in Para markets.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tucupi?
Tucupi is a sauce & condiment from Brazil: yellow broth pressed from wild manioc and boiled for days to detoxify. An Indigenous Amazonian preparation: the raw juice contains cyanide, driven off by long boiling, and is sold bottled in Para markets.
How long does Tucupi take to make?
Tucupi takes described here rather than made of preparation and several days, traditionally of cooking. The recipe makes used by the litre in Amazonian cooking. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Tucupi?
Yes, within limits. There is no substitute for tucupi in the dishes that use it. Bottled tucupi from a Brazilian supplier.
What is the most important thing to get right in Tucupi?
Boil it uncovered so vapour escapes rather than condensing back in. Never use it straight from the bottle without heating.
