Riverside Stall · Rice-Stuffed Leaf Wrap
Juane
Photo: Dtarazona / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
It's named for Saint John the Baptist — the round bundle is said to recall his head on a platter — which is why it's the star of the San Juan festival every 24 June.
Rice, chicken, egg and olives are packed inside a bijao leaf and boiled for hours until firm, forming a leaf-wrapped bundle. Iquitos market vendors and river-port stalls sell them ready to eat, especially around the Fiesta de San Juan.
Why it's made this way: Juane is Loreto's defining Amazonian dish, made possible by the bijao leaf that grows wild throughout the jungle region.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3443 dishes from 118 countries.
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