Ferns that taste like asparagus when sautéed in olive oil and salt. Leaves with the flavour of garlic. A black, spicy sauce derived from bitter manioc root to go with paiche, a giant Amazonian fish.
If the special tasting menu at a restaurant in Ecuador’s capital Quito reads like a walk through the Amazonian rainforest, that is exactly the point.
“See the beauty, the smell, the colours of the Amazon through the incredible flavours that you can taste!” said Marta Echavarria, co-founder of Quito-based Canopy Bridge.
The non-profit network connects indigenous farmers with buyers and provided many of the ingredients on the menu at Quito’s Patria restaurant.
This story was originally published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Click here to read the full article: With ferns, fish and roots, Ecuador brings its rainforest to restaurant tables