Amazonian Tucupi and Jambu Soup (Tacacá)

Name: Amazonian Tucupi and Jambu Soup (Tacacá)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Brazil
Ingredients: 4 cups (960 ml) bottled tucupi; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 small pimenta-de-cheiro or red chili, finely chopped; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 3/4 cup (90 g) small dried shrimp (camarão seco), rinsed; 4 oz (115 g) fresh jambu (paracress) leaves, thick stems removed; 1/2 cup (60 g) tapioca starch (polvilho doce); 1 cup (240 ml) water

Tacacá Say it: tah-kah-KAH

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 3, 2026.

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Tacacá is an iconic soup from Brazil’s North Region, especially Pará and Amazonas, sold by street vendors in the late afternoon and served scalding hot in a gourd bowl. The golden broth is made from tucupi, a seasoned cassava liquid, and filled with dried shrimp and jambu leaves, which create a gentle numbing or tingling sensation. A spoonful of translucent tapioca gum at the bottom thickens each spoonful. The flavor is deeply savory, sour, spicy, and aromatic—unlike any other Brazilian soup.

Amazonian Tucupi and Jambu Soup (Tacacá)

Tacacá

Pronounced tah-kah-KAH

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Level: Medium

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

Soup

4 cups (960 ml)960 ml (4 cups) bottled tucupi
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small pimenta-de-cheiro or red chili, finely chopped
1 tsp salt, or to taste
3/4 cup (90 g)90 g (3/4 cup) small dried shrimp (camarão seco), rinsed
4 oz (115 g)115 g (4 oz) fresh jambu (paracress) leaves, thick stems removed

Goma (tapioca gum)

1/2 cup (60 g)60 g (1/2 cup) tapioca starch (polvilho doce)
1 cup (240 ml)240 ml (1 cup) water

Method

Make the goma. in a small saucepan, whisk the tapioca starch and water until no lumps remain. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and turns translucent, 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
Prepare the shrimp. rinse the dried shrimp under running water. If they are large, chop them coarsely; small shrimp can be left whole. Set aside.
Season the tucupi. pour the tucupi into a medium pot. Add the garlic, chili, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until aromatic.
Cook the shrimp. add the rinsed dried shrimp to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes more so the broth turns savory.
Wilt the jambu. add the jambu leaves and stir. Cook for 3–5 minutes, just until the leaves are wilted and tender but still bright green. Taste and adjust salt.
Assemble. place 2–3 tablespoons of the cooked goma in the bottom of each warmed gourd or deep bowl. Ladle the very hot broth with jambu and shrimp over the goma and serve immediately.

Regional variants

Some cooks add chicória-do-pará, a cilantro-like herb, or a few drops of hot pepper oil for extra aroma and heat.

Cook's notes

Jambu gives tacacá its signature tingling; if you cannot find it, watercress or spinach can replace the texture, but not the numbing effect.
Always use bottled, ready-to-use tucupi; raw cassava liquid must be cooked properly to remove toxins.
Serve the soup very hot and spoon up some goma with each sip for the traditional texture.

Serve with

Traditionally served alone in a warmed gourd (cuia), eaten as a late-afternoon snack.

Make ahead and storage

The broth and goma can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat the broth gently and add jambu just before serving.

Amazonian Tucupi and Jambu Soup (Tacacá)