Piranha - Deadly and Delicious
Posted at 2:27 am | Filed Under brazil
They had it even before we knew what was happening. My rod bowed in prayer to something below the tea-colored water’s surface. The six-pound test line danced like a cat on a hot pavement. All hell had broken loose. Beads of sweat rolled down Doris’ back. Her clothes were now a second skin, clinging to her every move. We panted for breath. We had fish on. The silvery oval-shaped body and red belly of a Piranha broke the surface. I reached for it. “Don’t let a finger get near their mouths or you’ll lose it”, our native guide barked.
Minutes earlier, I shuddered from a breeze escaping from somewhere up ahead despite 85 degree-plus heat. The double-digit humidity didn’t help either. A maddening buzz filled my ears, but thanks my coating of Vick’s Vapor Rub, the blood-suckers wouldn’t feast on me. My eyes burned. My nose dripped. A coffee-table-sized leaf or hanging branch slapped into me every few steps. Curses burst from my lips even with my best efforts to become as one with the rainforest, as the indian had.
Our fishing rods extended from 18″ to five and a half feet. I’d hoped the light mono would suffice, although I’d squirreled away spools of twelve and twenty pound test as an afterthought. If we tagged into a 50-plus pound Tambaqui even that wouldn’t be enough. Vines as thick as my wrist dipped into light coffee-colored waters making little ripples as it slid past roots and fallen branches. Tangled growth matted the gentle slope of the bank into tea-with-milk colored wetness. I’d flicked a thumbnail-sized chunk of bloody chicken liver on a barb-less hook with a split shot into a dinner plate-sized swirl just beside a snarl of mangrove roots jutting upwards through the surface.
Minutes later, his tanned skin gleaming with moisture, our guide demonstrated the efficiency of the scissor-like teeth. A green leaf held near the gaping mouth instantly sported a neat, crescent-shaped bite. Three heavy blows to the head prepared the killer for cleaning. After cleaning, the Embera made a series of diagonal cuts along each side of the fish. Into these he carefully rubbed a mixture of salt, garlic, and ground roots from a small gourd he carried. A simple shaved branch frame held the fish over a smoky fire of glowing coals. The firm toasted flesh tasted smooth and a bit earthy, like a seasoned and mellowed catfish. With a wink and a sly nod towards Doris he said. “Make these heads into soup and you will need many wives”. She glanced at me with a puzzled look. I smiled.
The Perfect Killing Machine
The Amazon is filled with danger. Soldier ants march by the millions devouring all life in their path. Submerged up to the eyes, Crocodiles lie in wait for the unwary - whatever or whoever that may be. Undulating its 20-foot length beneath the surface, the Anaconda, one of the world’s largest snakes, uses heat-seeking guidance to find its next meal. The barbed stinger in the tail of platter-sized stingrays can inflict a wound that takes months to heal. But none of these carry the fearsome mystique of the voracious Piranha. Ranging through South America from Brazil to the lowlands of Peru, they also inhabit waters in Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. In the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers of Brazil and the Orinoco River in Venezuela, no creature is safe from the Piranha’s razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws. The serrated teeth fit together like scissors, enabling Piranha to cut the flesh from their prey. Like a shark, a Piranha’s teeth are replaceable, when one breaks off a new one grows in its place.
The Yagua Indians of Peru often use the sharp edges between the teeth of a Piranha jawbone to sharpen the point of their blowgun darts. A fish that is dying or swimming erratically will be quickly attacked by a large school. Piranha will also attack without warning to defend their eggs and territory. A wounded animal that strays into the water will be stripped to the bone so quickly it seems almost to “dance” on the surface as it’s ravaged from beneath. A bird that falls into the water will be gone, feathers and all, in three minutes or less. A trapped fish struggling in a net will be chewed clean to the head in a matter of seconds. Attacks on large animals and humans are often dramatically portrayed, but are rare. In some regions Piranha are known as “donkey castrators”.
“They will rend and devour alive any wounded man or beast.” U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt said, adding, “Piranha are the most ferocious fish in the world.” Piranha, also called Caribe or Piraya only furthered their fearsome mystique when Roosevelt encountered them during his exploits in 1914. There are about 35 known species of Piranha but only five species represent a danger to man. Species range from the Red-Belly Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) with its characteristic red belly to the largest of the carnivorous species, the Black Piranha with its demon-red eyes and a 17 and a half inch long dark body weighing up to ten pounds. It could remove a man’s hand in two or three bites.
Most species dine on fruit or seeds that fall into the water from overhanging trees. The fish are not always aggressive. Women wash clothes in knee-deep water where men spearfish while children bathe or swim in these same Piranha-infested waters without harm. Further adding to the Piranha’s mystique, Indian men with half a dozen wives and up to a score of children attribute their potency to Piranha-head soup, although no scientific justification for the soup’s potency yet exists.
Fishing for Piranha
Piranhas are usually part of indigenous peoples diet in the areas where the fish are found. All you need to go Piranha fishing are lines with a metal leader next to the hook so the fish doesn’t bite through the line, a supply of red, raw meat (worms or cut-up fish will do too) and a bit of luck. Piranha swim in large schools and are attracted by movement and blood. In May of 1999, hundreds of anglers armed with rods, reels, and raw steak flocked to the Brazilian town of Aracatuba near Sao Paolo for a one-Sunday piranha fishing tournament. The townspeople had declared open season on the flesh-eating fish, which had decimated other species in the local river. The prize for the tournament was an outboard motor. But “most fishermen were content to go home with plenty of the reputedly aphrodisiac piranha”, claimed then town spokesman Nelson Custidio.
Piranha, earning their notorious reputation by reportedly killing 1,200 head of cattle every year in Brazil, is some of the best eating in South America. Whatever name you call them and no matter where you try them, when cooked in a variety of ways, their firm light flesh with its smooth, slightly nutty flavor, is a taste you’re sure to enjoy.
Larry M. Lynch is a writer and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines in print and online. He travels researching articles throughout Latin America and teaches at a university in Cali, Colombia. To get original, exclusive articles and content for your newsletter, blog or website, contact him at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
Tags: brazil, Colombia, delicious, fish, piranha, South AmericaPreparing Piranha Four Delicious Recipes for Adventuresome Eating
Posted at 7:52 am | Filed Under brazil
Prepare your freshly-caught Piranha native style, with these Brazilian recipes. Cachama, a Piranha-related farm-raised species, is often used where Piranha are not locally available. Cachama (in Colombia) and Tambaqui or Pacu (in Brazil) which also originate in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins can likewise be used. Two Cachama species cultivated commercially in Central and South America are the white one (Piaractus brachypomus) and the black one (Colossoma macropomum). If one of these is not available where you live, any firm white-fleshed fish or fillets will amply suffice. Here are four delicious ways to prepare your Piranha:
Piranha in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
Piranha, whole, cleaned and scaled
4 firm, ripe tomatoes
1 finely chopped medium-sized onion
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley
half a cup of water
2 tablespoons of margarine
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel and cut tomato into small cubes. Put half the tomatoes and onion into a large frying pan, place the cleaned Piranha on top then cover it with the rest of the tomato, onion and parsley. Add the salt and pepper.
Add half of the water and cook covered over a low fire for about 20 minutes or until the fish can be easily pierced with a fork.
Carefully remove the Piranha from the pan and place on a warm serving dish.
Reduce the mixture in the frying pan for an additional 5 minutes until thickened and pour over the Piranha.
Brazilian Piranha Soup
Ingredients:
Piranha, whole fish (or heads)
green vegetables in season or to taste
carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
yams, peeled and cut up
onions, whole small or quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 small chilies to spice things up a bit
small ginger root, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 sliced or wedged lemons or limes
Directions:
Boil whole fish in vegetable stock with spices and pieces of ginger. Add fresh cut up vegetables. Remove bones and larger fins from the fish. Slice lemon or lime as garnish. Remember, the head is an aphrodisiac and is often served separately. The soup can also be made entirely from Piranha heads if desired.
Fried Piranha
Ingredients:
A medium-sized whole Piranha for each serving
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
sprig of fresh parsley
whole lemon or lime
1 or 2 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced
small quantity of seasoned flour or corn meal
Directions:
Clean and scale the fish thoroughly. Make a series of diagonal cuts along both sides of the fish from top to belly. Crush the garlic cloves and mix with the salt and a little pepper. Rub this mixture into the cuts along the sides of the fish. Wrap with a damp banana leaf (or a moistened paper towel). Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Some Colombian cooks leave refrigerated overnight. Heat some fresh cooking oil to a high temperature in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the marinated fish lightly with seasoned flour or corn meal. Fry golden brown on each side, turning the fish carefully after browning. Serve hot garnished with sliced tomato and fresh lemon or lime juice squeezed over the fish.
Grilling Piranha Amazon Style
Grilling fresh-caught fish on an open fire is always a tasty way to enjoy a fresh catch. Use a whole cleaned and scaled fish, rub it lightly with oil, season it with salt and pepper or other available spices, then place it on a grill, about 4 - 6 inches from the heat. In the wild you can use a framework of small twigs and shaved saplings to position the fish over the fire. Cover the fish with a banana leaf (or foil), and cook until the fish is brown on the underside, approximately 6 - 8 minutes. Turn the fish carefully and continue until the flesh near the bone is (check with the tip of a small knife or long fork), in approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Smaller fish usually work best using this method, especially in the jungle.
Modifying these procedures slightly will allow you to adapt them for use with a barbeque grill. If you haven’t already, be sure to read the article “Piranha: Deadly and Delicious” which is online at: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=72722 . Buen Provecho!
Prof Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He teaches at a university in Cali, Colombia. To get original, exclusive articles and content for your newsletter, blog or website contact him at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com. For a free copy of the full version of this article including eye-popping photos, e-mail your request to: pentagon_elsb@hotmail.com.
Tags: adventure, barbeque grill, brazil, Colombia, fish recipes, piranhaThey Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods - Part 2
Posted at 5:21 am | Filed Under brazil
So you’re back for more, huh? Well if I didn’t get to you in part one with “treats” from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico you’re gonna just love what you’ll get here in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel into the jungles of Colombia and up into the high Andes mountain range in Ecuador to introduce you to some “Eye-opening”, high-flying specialties that’ll make partly-cooked greasy pork liver seem like “Haute Cuisine”. Hungry yet? Tighten your belt then and let’s go.
Three-Toed Sloth
Called “Oso Perezoso” (lazy bear) in Spanish, these dense-haired, slow moving creatures live off of jungle foliage and leaves. You would think they’d be easy to catch, but in fact, they can live high up in the trees and be extremely difficult to spot. Cleaning and preparing to cook one takes several hours. Most of time being spent just to remove the coarse, dense hair which is done by dipping the carcass in boiling water and painstakingly scraping or pulling the hair off. The result is worth it though as it has the most delicious meat I’ve ever tasted when cooked in a thick, rich stew. Sloths are kept as pets since they’re actually quite harmless despite having up to four-inch long claws.
Bofe
Pronounced “bow-fay”, the dried, roasted lungs of a cow are this snack food. Often available at airport restaurants and street food vendors in Colombia, it’s a somewhat acquired taste, but not one that’s unpleasant by any means. Most people simply have to get past the thought of what it is (believe me; you DON’T want to see it before it’s cooked). It’s difficult and time-consuming to prepare. Ready to eat, it’s a dark, unappetizing looking concoction cut into bite-sized cubes for easy munching.
Vulture
Yup, you read right - Buzzard, is eaten in some towns in the Central Highlands of Ecuador. It’s caught, plucked and thoroughly cleaned (I wouldn’t want THAT job!). The high Andes mountain range runs from Colombia south through to Chile and is home to vast flocks of Condors. Condors are carrion-eating birds. I don’t have to tell you what “carrion” is, do I? The cleaned, prepared bird is normally prepared in soup with seasonings, broth and vegetables like yucca, potato, plantain, celery and carrots.
Cow’s Eye
Ever wonder what happens to the “unwanted” parts of food animals like the reproductive organs? Well in Latin countries, these parts are eaten same as the rest of the animal. Consisting mostly of liquid, cow’s eye is sold fresh, of course. It’s most frequently cooked by being stirred into a hot pot of chocolate and served as a drink or a thick “soup” of sorts. Although it’s relatively common and popular in Colombia, I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Several of my acquaintances say the concoction’s quite tasty. How would YOU like to try it?
In part one of this three-part series, we traveled through Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to sample ants, piranha and green iguana. In part two you were introduced to sloth, vulture and cow’s eye and lungs. In the final part of this series you’ll meet more of the “good stuff”. From the Pacific coast to the mountain highlands of the Peruvian Andes we’re going to rock you with even more “treats” of Latin America you’ll never forget. Brace yourself for this one. It’s definitely NOT for pansies.
If you’d like to get part three of this series “They Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods”, please e-mail me at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com . I’ll be waiting.
Bon Appetit!
Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an expert author and photographer offering Web Content Writing Services for top-quality articles on: Education, Language learning, Salt and Fresh water fishing, exotic foods, South American travel and culture, Ethnic issues - Blacks, Latinos, Indian native tribes, Health, Internet business resources and more His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News, Brazil magazine and hundreds of sites online. For fr*e*e sample articles and available web content e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
Tags: ants, brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, exotic foods, iguana, Mexico, Panama, piranha, three toed sloth