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Brazilian Tacacá, plated and ready to serve

Brazilian Tacacá, Amazonian Tucupi Broth with Shrimp and Jambu

Tacacá is the hot, sour, tingling soup that Belém lines up for every afternoon, served in a dark gourd bowl called a cuia. Yellow tucupi broth is ladled over dried shrimp and jambu leaves, which make your lips gently buzz and tingle. This keto version leaves out the tapioca starch and keeps everything else that makes it unforgettable.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Brazilian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 84kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups prepared (cooked) tucupi
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 bunch culantro or cilantro chopped
  • 2 or 3 pimenta de cheiro or other mild sweet peppers chopped
  • 3 ounces dried salted shrimp rinsed
  • 1 large bunch jambu leaves and flowers (or watercress) tough stems removed
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional for body)
  • Salt and hot pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Pour the tucupi into a pot with the garlic, culantro and peppers. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
  • Meanwhile, put the dried shrimp in a small pan of water, bring to a boil and drain. Repeat once if they still taste very salty.
  • Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the jambu for 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Drain.
  • If using xanthan gum, sprinkle it over the simmering tucupi while whisking hard, so the broth gains a light, silky body.
  • Divide the jambu and shrimp among bowls or cuias. Ladle the boiling hot tucupi over the top and serve right away, with hot pepper on the side.

Notes

Tucupi is made from the juice of bitter cassava, which is toxic when raw, so only use tucupi sold as cooked or ready to use and follow any package directions; never use homemade raw cassava juice. Look for it frozen or bottled in Brazilian grocery stores. If you cannot find jambu, watercress gives a similar peppery green, though without the famous tingle.
Chef's Tip: Serve the tacacá very hot, the way it is sold in Belém. The heat amplifies the tingle of the jambu and the sour aroma of the tucupi.
Keto Swap: Traditional tacacá includes goma, a thick, glassy tapioca starch gel, in every bowl. It is left out here, with an optional pinch of xanthan gum to give the broth a silky feel instead.
Success Tip: Tacacá is an adventure for the whole table. Give first-timers a small cup and let them discover the tingling jambu; it is a guaranteed conversation starter.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 84kcal | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1.6g
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