The Amazonian rainforest

The far north of Brazil is dominated by the rainforest and the mighty Amazon river, with its many tributaries. Northern cuisine makes full use of the special ingredients only found in the forest, which makes it hard to reproduce elsewhere. Typical dishes include pato ao tucupí (duck in tucupí broth) and tacacá, a soup sold by street vendors as a pick-me-up. Desserts include many tropical fruits that are difficult to find even in other Brazilian regions, although some have found their way to the export market - for example, brazil nuts and the nutritious berry, açai.